SITA has teamed up with Urban-Air Port (UAP) to transform urban travel by combining modular vertiport infrastructure with advanced digital platforms.
The partnership aims to focus on developing integrated, scalable, and passenger-centric vertiport systems for urban air transport.
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It will see SITA use its “advanced” technology to help leverage Urban-Air Port’s (UAP’s) “patented” vertiport technology.
The vertiport technology is claimed to offer “ultra-compact, high-capacity infrastructure” for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger and cargo flights across civilian and defence applications.
eVTOLs, supported by advanced vertiports, have the potential to transform short regional travel by offering a more sustainable alternative that reduces carbon emissions, saves time, and eases the burden on current transportation systems, stated SITA.
UAP’s “vertical airfield” are described as 80% smaller than traditional airfields, designed to support hybrid VTOL operations at height, and feature modular, scalable designs and integrated energy storage.
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By GlobalDataThe two companies will work together to launch the “world’s first” completely integrated software-defined vertiport, featuring the jointly developed “AirOne” vertiport.
In April 2022, Urban-Air Port launched its Air One project in Coventry City Centre, UK, demonstrating its vertiport technology. Backed by funding from UK Government Research and Innovation, UAP claimed that this initiative marked the “world’s first” fully operational vertiport situated in a densely populated urban environment.
To this partnership, Urban-Air Port brings its expertise in modular, quickly deployable vertiports, while SITA contributes its travel technology expertise, including passenger processing, air-to-ground communications, and real-time data management.
Urban-Air Port CEO Andrea Wu said: “This isn’t just about new infrastructure, it’s about delivering a fully-connected experience for passengers, VTOL and transport operators.
“By uniting our innovative vertiport hardware with SITA’s proven aviation platforms, we’re building a real foundation for safe, scalable air mobility with global reach.”
A key component of this initiative is the Vertiport Management System (VMS), a cloud-based platform that manages every facet of vertiport operations. This includes planning, resource allocation, passenger flow, weather data monitoring, and security.
By combining modular infrastructure with a cloud-native platform, along with automation and AI capabilities, the partnership seeks to provide the scalability, and operational flexibility needed for high-density advanced air mobility (AAM) deployments in complex urban settings.
SITA travel and transport business development director Benoit Verbaere said: “We’re using our decades of aviation expertise to build the digital backbone of the AAM ecosystem, seamlessly integrating eVTOLs into tomorrow’s intermodal transport networks.”
Last month, SITA launched a new satellite connectivity service to help airports and airlines maintain communication during operational disruptions.
