Siemens and Skyway have agreed to work together to determine the electrical and digital infrastructure needed to support vertiport operations.
Vertiports are hubs for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles such as air taxis and drones. The scope of collaboration involves both companies researching energy demands of vertiports and developing sustainable electrical supply, standard charging processes, and a “system of systems” to support aircraft operations. Innovation around vertiport infrastructure will be critical to the future scalability of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flight operations.
A main objective of the collaborative effort is to develop vertiports. This includes researching, developing, planning, and being part of the construction and operation of them, with each company bringing its own strength and experience to the effort. Skyway has vast knowledge of airspace mission planning and management, air traffic navigation, and unmanned aircraft operations, and Siemens has infrastructure expertise in electrification, vehicle charging, and facility operations.
Together, the two will design and engineer a universal eVTOL charging process by evaluating the charging, power, and software requirements to ensure reliable and efficient operations. In addition, Siemens and Skyway will collaborate on ideas to standardise overall vertiport planning and design and to reduce energy consumption.
“It is exciting for Siemens to contribute to the evolution of the urban air mobility industry,” said John Kasuda, head of airports at Siemens Smart Infrastructure North America. “The development and efficient operations of vertiports will require innovative solutions to meet the expected demands of fast aircraft turnaround times and a network of varying landing facilities.”
Image: Siemens/ Skyway
