The United Kingdom is gearing up for the future of transportation with the announcement of its first vertiport testbed dedicated to electric air taxis. This collaborative project between Skyports, a developer of vertiport infrastructure, and Bicester Motion will be a crucial step in developing the infrastructure for electric air taxis in the UK.
Funded in part by Innovate UK’s Future Flight Challenge, the vertiport will be located at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire. This strategic location, close to major urban centers and tourist destinations, will allow for testing the viability of air taxis as a rapid transport option. The compact passenger terminal and adjacent existing runways will facilitate testing of ground infrastructure, flight operations, and integration with traditional aviation.
The vertiport will serve as a key platform for demonstrations and network planning. This includes collaboration with Vertical Aerospace, a developer of the VX4 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Vertical Aerospace plans to conduct demonstration flights from the vertiport, testing procedures ahead of commercial launch.
Drawing inspiration from Skyports’ existing testbeds in Paris and California, the UK vertiport design signifies a significant step towards a future with electric air taxis. Skyports aims to open the UK vertiport by the end of 2024.
A military history enthusiast, Richard began his career at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet became central to defense research, he helped design the company’s Forecast Intelligence Center and now coordinates the FI Market Recap newsletters for clients. He also manages two blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, which covers defense systems and international security issues, and Flight Plan, focused on commercial aviation and space systems.
For more than 30 years, Richard has authored Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International), providing detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database tracking all companies involved in programs covered by the FI library. Richard currently serves as Manager of the Information Services Group (ISG), which develops outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.
