Air Mobility Ecosystem Consortium

Project dates: 1 July 2022 – 31 June 2024

About the Project

The Air Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC) brings together a wide-ranging consortium of world-leading public and academic institutions that will bring their expertise together to demonstrate the commercial and operational viability of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in the UK. AMEC aims to address two key challenges: high levels of congestion in cities that leads to poor health outcomes and holding back economic growth, and the impacts of climate change.

Please Note: Funding available is the grant value awarded by Innovate UK.

Project Activities

Using Vertical Aerospace’s zero-emission VA-X4 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, AMEC will demonstrate three first-of-a-kind air mobility services that will explore all aspects of the passenger journey, vehicle operation, airspace navigation, ground charging, security, and local stakeholder management.

• Mission 1 – Between Bristol Airport and a South West node.
• Mission 2 – Between Heathrow Airport and Skyport’s Elstree vertiport.
• Mission 3 – A digital simulation of a journey between Bristol Airport and London City Airport.

Through the project, a range of technologies and methods are being proven, including novel means of ensuring compliance with civil aviation regulations, the construction of a “living lab” vertiport to allow stakeholders to trial technologies and operational concepts, and the development of innovative digital infrastructure to modernise airspace while maintaining safety and security.

Benefits

The potential benefits of the project include greater connectivity and convenience for the travelling public, substantial export earnings from the domestic manufacture of aircraft with associated products and services, enhanced connectivity driving GDP, levelling-up opportunities, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

To find out more about the project, please contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Knowledge Transfer Manager for Aviation.

Project Partners

• AtkinsRéalis
• Bristol Airport
• Connected Places Catapult
• Cranfield University
• Heathrow Airport
• London City Airport
• NATS · Skyports
• Skyports Infrastructure
• Vertical Aerospace
• Virgin Atlantic
• Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick