The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to assess projects in the areas of airports, vertiports and AAM, identifying geographies and partnerships to develop AAM in the coming years.
The AAM concept of air transport uses electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to move people and cargo to places which are hard to reach or serve using surface transport or existing aviation modes.
eVTOLs can be powered by hybrid electric systems, batteries or hydrogen fuel cells.
Horacio Rossi, Project Principal at Mott MacDonald, says, “Our team has experience of developing the strategic direction for vertiports, through to masterplans for its size, terminal buildings, energy centre, airfield layout, and safe and efficient operations, as well as crucial connections with other modes of transport. The potential for AAM is incredible, and we can’t wait to work together with UrbanV to develop opportunities.”
Carlo Tursi, CEO of UrbanV, adds, “We have the ambition to become a major global operator of vertiport networks, starting from Italy and France, where we are working together with our founding shareholders to establish some of the first AAM routes worldwide. We are excited to partner with Mott MacDonald and we look forward to developing new opportunities together with them, on a global scale.”
UrbanV was established by Aeroporti di Roma, SAVE Group, Aeroports de la Côte d’Azur and Aeroporto di Bologna to launch commercial networks starting from Rome, with the first route from Fiumicino airport to the city centre planned by the end of 2024.
Mott MacDonald is working on several AAM projects and has supported a consortium planning a network of vertiports in the UK.