Plans for the UK’s first ‘vertiport’ flying taxi base have been approved for construction, commencing in autumn
Cherwell District Council have approved plans for the UK’s first ‘vertibird’ flying taxi base.
The vertiport has been designed by Skyports Infrastructure, in partnership with Bicester Motion, and will act as the first test for an electric air taxi industry in the UK.
The UK’s first vertiport will have a passenger terminal
A compact, 160 sq m passenger terminal is a part of the plans for the vertiport.
The terminal will be equipped with technology to aid the vertiport’s operation, including a Resource Management and Scheduling System, and Vertiport Automation System.
Development of the vertiport is part of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, a consortium developing advanced air mobility across the UK, and backed by UKRI.
The aircraft will be all electric
The images released alongside the planning being approved depict a VX4 prototype, an electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL), the vehicle planned to be used in the demonstration flights.
The image also depicts the passenger terminal nearby the Bicester Motion grass runways. Bicester airfields are famous for their aircraft development in the past, including developing the Halifax prototype L7244, what would later become the Handley Page Halifax bomber.
Michael Cervenka, chief commercial & technology officer at Vertical Aerospace, said: “The Skyports vertiport is a critical piece of infrastructure, helping to get our VX4 aircraft up into the air and demonstrate to the world that the future of flight is electric. We’re excited to see what the vertiport will look like as we move into an important phase of the industry – making this real. The tests we carry out here in Bicester with our VX4 will advance our understanding of electric aviation and revolutionise how we travel – paving the way for zero emissions, quiet flight.”
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