Skyports Infrastructure and Bicester Motion, a 444-acre future mobility estate in Bicester in Oxfordshire, have broken ground on the UK’s first vertiport testbed.
Vertiport terminal
The vertiport is a key output of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, an Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge project. It is currently under construction on a plot of 0.42 acres (0.17 hectares). This area will include a compact 160m2 passenger terminal.
Once complete, it will be a facility for testing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flight operations, ground infrastructure and air traffic management. The facility is expected to play a significant role in enabling the next generation of electric, low-noise aviation in the UK.
The vertiport is being constructed adjacent to Bicester Motion’s existing general aviation grass runways and is due to be completed in early 2025. The facility will launch with an inauguration event at which Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium partners will test and demonstrate key outputs and findings from the project, which will include demonstration flights by Vertical Aerospace.
Enabling eVTOL operations
Daniel Geoghegan, CEO of Bicester Motion, said, “It’s great to see Skyports’ vertiport being built right here in Bicester. Once complete, it will support vertical take-off and landing aircraft testing as part of advanced air mobility innovation. We’re proud to support this vertiport testbed as part of our strategic vision to integrate both traditional and vertical aviation operations from our airfield and boost pioneering future mobility discovery.”
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, said, “With spades in ground and the site beginning to take shape, today we are one step closer to delivering our vertiport at Bicester Motion. Our thanks to the project and construction teams for their work so far and we look forward to opening the facility in a few months’ time to continue our efforts to develop and scale electric air taxi services.”
Michael Cervenka, chief commercial and strategy officer of Vertical Aerospace, commented, “As a proud partner of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, Vertical Aerospace is excited to see this state-of-the-art vertiport come to life. Facilities like this are essential for enabling the seamless integration of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft into our airspace and helping people better understand the benefits they will bring. We look forward to supporting this effort with demonstration flights next year and together advancing the future of aviation.”
In related news, Snowdonia Aerospace Centre, a large-scale drone facility in the UK, recently selected Aerovolt (partnered with Eaton) to provide multiple charging systems for aircraft development and future flight technologies. Click here to read the full story.