The AAM World Integrator Center at Dubai South will initially include a dozen takeoff and landing pads for electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles.
Having launched the certification process for its advanced air mobility (AAM) integrator center in Dubai, vertiport startup VPorts is on track to finalize the first nodes in its planned United Arab Emirates (UAE) network by 2026, founder and CEO Fetih Chebil tells the AAM Report.
Located at the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub at the Dubai South development zone beside Al Maktoum International Airport, the AAM World Integrator Center is a planned facility that aims to bring OEMs, operators and infrastructure providers together into a collaborative environment that streamlines the ordinarily complex and expensive process of trialing AAM technologies.
VPorts initiated the certification process for its vertiport at the integrator center with the Gulf Civil Aviation Administration (GCAA) in June, setting an important milestone for the industry as the first vertiport company in the world to embark on that process.
“Right now, we’re working through the vertiport design phase with the GCAA, and we’re working with the air navigation service provider to sort through the airspace for the testing center,” Chebil says. “Assuming things stick to plan, we hopefully can begin construction in 2024 and finalize everything by 2025. That will make us ready by 2026 to have the first flight from the vertiport.”
The facility’s vertiport will initially include a dozen takeoff and landing slots for electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicles. A dedicated corridor with a distance of about 40 km (25 mi.) will connect the integrator center with a separate facility where companies will have access to dedicated airspace for flight testing. As VPorts will operate the center, OEMs will not need to seek permission to fly from the GCAA or Administration or Dubai Air Navigation Services.
“The project in Dubai is much bigger than just a vertiport–we’re integrating an ecosystem where the key players can work together and do flight testing, and that’s why the airspace is so important,” Chebil says. “We are providing this airspace to make it easy and simple for manufacturers from anywhere in the world to do flight testing, which is extremely important because in many regions the regulators are moving at a more cautious pace.”
While the world’s first vertiport certification process is proving to be “very demanding,” Chebil says that Gulf regulators have been actively engaged and supportive of the company’s efforts. Chebil says that VPorts has had discussions with numerous stakeholders to sort through details related to airspace, operational requirements, vertiport design and construction, site selection, electric charging, firefighting, and a host of other topics.
The vertiport and integrator center at Dubai South is envisioned to become part of a network of large vertiports linking various points within the UAE. In addition to the vertiports at the integrator center and dedicated airspace, the other points identified so far are Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Jebel Ali, a port city southwest of Dubai. But while initial sites have been identified–for example, at the cargo area of Ras Al Khaimah’s main airport, Chebil says the wider challenge will be building out multitudes of smaller vertiports spread through each emirate.
“We are going emirate by emirate, discussing with key players and trying to explain the importance of AAM and how building out a network of vertiports can benefit them socially, economically and environmentally,” he says. “We’re working together with the airport operators and civil aviation authorities–in some cases it’s the same entity–and we’re identifying the key locations for other vertiports that we can deploy in each emirate.”
Chebil says the vertiport network will primarily be used for regional cargo services in the near-term. Eventually, he would like to see it used for passenger services as well, but that will require more time for the business case to materialize, and for UAE regulators to grow more comfortable with AAM.
“In the early stages, we expect the regulators everywhere to be more comfortable to see the eVTOLs moving goods so they can test the machines and get a good sense of the safety case for each type of eVTOL,” Chebil says. “The other reason is that cargo, by definition, is a very cost-sensitive business, so using eVTOLs for some types of goods is quicker and less expensive, which makes for a good business case.”
While 2026 is the target date to launch operations, Chebil predicts it will take more time for demand to materialize. In order for the vision of AAM to truly scale for passenger services, he thinks that unlocking autonomous flight will be key.
“We’re targeting 2026, which is aligned with the rest of the industry, but in terms of business viability, it will simply take time,” Chebil says. “When we have the means to integrate autonomous operations, that’s probably when we can really see things come together for a large-scale service.”
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