Skyports Infrastructure Limited Public Funding

This project aims to accelerate the transition of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) from trials to commercially viable, regional operations within the UK, focusing on the economically vital Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor. This initiative directly supports the government's ambition to 'kick-start the economy' by fostering rapid growth and improved connectivity in key regions, contributing to the Chancellor's vision for this area to add substantial value to the UK economy by 2035\. A collaborative consortium, led by Skyports Infrastructure and including Bristow Helicopters, Vertical Aerospace, NATS, and Oxfordshire County Council, brings together unparalleled expertise in vertiport development, aviation operations, aircraft technology, airspace management, and regional planning. This collective strength ensures a holistic approach to addressing the practical and regulatory frameworks required for scalable AAM services. The project will develop a detailed blueprint for regional eVTOL operations, building on previous insights and addressing the critical gap in comprehensive commercial deployment strategies. Key activities include refining operational plans for both proposed regional routes (e.g., Bicester to Cambridge) and A-to-A flights. This will involve detailed operational planning, regulatory pathway definition, and comprehensive community engagement strategies. A significant highlight of the project will be the culmination in an actual A-to-A eVTOL flight demonstration of the Vertical VX4 aircraft at Skyports Infrastructure's Bicester Vertiport Living Lab in March 2026 which will support the desktop studies and simulations of the OXCAM link. The A to A flight will be in addition to a regional positioning flight from Kemble (Gloucestershire) to Bicester (Oxfordshire). While this flight will not be open to the public due to current regulatory considerations, high-quality footage will be captured and disseminated to build public confidence and showcase tangible progress in regional air mobility. Expected outcomes include a robust business case demonstrating high-value socio-economic benefits, a refined concept of operations, and a development plan for regulatory and community readiness. This work will serve as a foundational step towards unlocking increased productivity, job creation, and private investment in the UK's AAM sector, enhancing regional connectivity and contributing significantly to the nation's net-zero targets and 'levelling up' agenda. The project's learnings will help cement the UK's global leadership in future flight. This project is truly innovative in its pragmatic, end-to-end approach, demonstrating how AAM can deliver significant economic, social, and environmental benefits to UK communities, ultimately boosting the national economy and cementing Britain's global leadership in future flight.

This Fast Track project is a unique opportunity allowing the different stakeholders to approach, in an agile way, the development and joint validation of needed UAM technologies and operations in a real European environment. This will help the market bridge the famous “Valley of Death” in technology development, while it will bring a significant amount of insights that will be necessary for ensuring a safe introduction of the new UAM vehicles in all types of airspaces. The project has set 5 key objectives which will deliver 6 well defined results that will contribute to achieving all Expected Outcomes stated in the Call text. The OperA project will enable safe and efficient operations in all types of airspace (controlled, uncontrolled and U-space) and conditions by validating 3 different complex UAM (piloted Air Taxi and unmanned cargo) operations in real-life ATM conditions (TRL7) including contingency and non-nominal situations. It will stimulate the uptake of new sustainable Urban Air Mobility services by addressing Air/Ground integration and the critical transition steps from piloted towards automated flights for 5 key autonomy-enabling technologies at TRL7. In addition, it will ensure environmental sustainability compared to the next best transport alternative, and enhance it, by optimizing flight routing for minimum noise footprint and aircraft energy utilization. Eventually, it will accelerate the deployment of Urban Air Mobility by addressing necessary standardization, regulation and roadmaps, in synchronization with the ongoing certification of the 3 involved European UAM vehicles, and ensure social acceptance by targeted communication and dissemination activities. All of this will be done through 3 distinct and well selected demonstration activities involving Europe’s most promising UAM OEMs

The world faces two pressing challenges. Congestion in cities, the lifeblood of national economies, is rising to unacceptable levels. This causes poor health outcomes and strangles economic growth. At the same time, humanity must confront the threat of climate change and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC) is aiming to demonstrate the commercial and operational viability of Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) in the UK. This is an efficient, electric mode of aerial transport complementary to existing transport infrastructure, helping to deliver both increased connectivity and net zero emission targets. In doing so we will deliver cost-effective and convenient inter-regional and intra-regional travel to the British public. AMEC will demonstrate three first-of-kind air mobility services using Vertical Aerospace's emission-free VA-X4 eVTOL aircraft, operated by Virgin Atlantic. The first mission will take place between Bristol Airport and South-West node. The second will take place between Heathrow Airport and Skyports' Elstree vertiport. A third will digitally simulate a mission between Bristol Airport and London City Airport. These missions will explore and prove all aspects of the passenger journey, vehicle operation, airspace navigation, ground charging, security provision and local stakeholder management. Various technologies and methods are being proven. Vertical Aerospace is exploring novel means of compliance with civil aviation regulators as it prepares an airworthy vehicle for demonstration. Skyports is building a "living lab" vertiport at Elstree Airport to allow UK AAM stakeholders to trial technologies and operational concepts, facilitating commercial operations. Atkins and Skyports are deploying innovative digital infrastructure to modernise airspace and ensure compliance with national aviation safety regulations and border security. The consortium also involves the cooperation of world-leading public and academic institutions that are bringing their expertise to enable an economically viable AAM ecosystem. Cranfield are undertaking vertiport network and scheduling optimisation. Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) are developing open hardware and software standards for rapid eVTOL charging solutions that are essential to achieve fast turnarounds and high aircraft utilisation. Connected Places Catapult will manage delivery of the project and address, from a neutral perspective, the many public acceptance challenges surrounding the introduction of AAM services. The potential benefits to the UK are vast. Greater convenience for the travelling British public, substantial export earnings from the domestic manufacture of aircraft with associated products and services, enhanced connectivity driving GDP multiplier effects and levelling-up opportunities, and fewer harmful emissions.