Skyports Infrastructure, a provider of vertiport infrastructure for the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, has successfully completed operations setup at its vertiport located at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire, one of the UK’s pioneering test sites and hubs for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The vertiport features a compact terminal built on a 0.42-acre (0.17-hectare) site, designed to demonstrate the efficiency of vertiport infrastructure and its potential for seamless integration into space-constrained urban environments while enabling fast passenger throughput.
The facility includes dedicated passenger processing capabilities such as weight data collection and weight balance optimisation, identity validation, verification, and screening, complemented by a dedicated passenger lounge to offer a complete customer experience.
An operations room is equipped with Skyports’ Vertiport Automation System (VAS), incorporating a tailored resource management and scheduling dashboard to support high aircraft throughput for all operators.
Additionally, a situational awareness module provides advanced visualisation tools for monitoring airspace, weather conditions, and the vertiport perimeter.
Skyports previewed the completed facility at an event where attendees were given demonstrations of vertiport operations, including passenger processing, vertiport automation systems for aircraft and passengers, Skyports’ proprietary Remote Management & Scheduling System (RMSS) and situational awareness tools, such as weather sensors and real-time aircraft tracking, ensuring operational safety and providing a radical rethinking of the passenger journey at vertiports.
The vertiport will be a critical facility for testing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) ground infrastructure and flight operations in the UK.
Duncan Walker, chief executive officer, Skyports said, “Completing Bicester adds another vertiport to our rapidly expanding portfolio. We are excited to see commercial AAM operations go live in the near future in the UK.”
Michael Cervenka, chief commercial and strategy officer at Vertical Aerospace said, “The completion of Skyports’ vertiport at Bicester Motion marks an exciting step forward for advanced air mobility in the UK. Having access to an operationally ready vertiport enables us to validate not just the performance of eVTOL aircraft, but the real-world infrastructure and processes that will support future electric air travel. Collaboration through the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem is turning ambition into action, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of this journey.”
James Richmond, head of advanced air mobility at consortium leader AtkinsRéalis said, “The vertiport is already proving its value as a pathfinder project for the UK, setting new precedents and providing infrastructure insights for the industry. As a living lab and centre of innovation for the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, we expect it to continue to play a long-term role in validating end-to-end operational concepts and technologies. The lessons learned here will be critical for streamlining the development of other vertiports in the UK, ultimately scaling Advanced Air Mobility.”
