Air Taxi Vertiport Parking Getting Set for Dubai

Vertiport developer Skyports Infrastructure has signed a deal with Parkin Company, a Dubai-based provider of paid public parking facilities, to provide parking facilities for vertiports.

The parking facilities would support the expansion of air taxi services in Dubai across the Skyports Dubai network.

The memorandum of understanding the two companies signed gives Parkin the exclusive rights to operate and manage paid public services across Dubai with the shared goal of developing an advanced air mobility (AAM) across the country.

“As the exclusive provider of vertiport infrastructure in Dubai, our partnership with Parkin brings together two companies with highly complementary assets and operations,” said Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports Infrastructure.

“Access to Parkin’s comprehensive footprint will unlock opportunities to develop our vertiport infrastructure throughout the city, accelerating the adoption of integrated, multimodal transport solutions. Our joint commitment to developing new, sustainable technology solutions will facilitate an enhanced passenger experience and support adoption of air taxi services.”

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Skyports recently received planning permission for a 444-acre mobility center in Bicester, U.K., believed to be the first permanent U.K. vertiport infrastructure proposal to receive planning consent.

Related:Air Taxi Vertiport with Passenger Terminal Planned for UK

The facility would include a 1,700 square foot passenger terminal and a facility for testing ground and flight operations.

Skyports is partnering with electric aerial vehicle (EAV) maker Vertical Aerospace and plans to feature Vertical’s latest VX4 prototype, the first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicle to fly at the new vertiport.

Vertical Aerospace earlier this year received funding of $50 million from Stephen Fitzpatrick, the company founder and CEO.

Vertical is completing its second-generation, full-scale piloted VX4 prototype at GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Center in the U.K. 

The EAV is designed to carry four passengers with a range of 100 miles.

Other vertiports are being planned around the world.

For example, Vertiport operator UrbanV and construction and technology infrastructure company Icad Holdings are working together to develop the infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the Mideast to support advanced air mobility (AAM).

The companies aim to establish a blueprint for vertiport operations and define a plan to operate vertiports in the Middle East.

Related:Flying Vehicle Company Gets $50M More Funding

UrbanV and Icad plan to jointly explore opportunities for projects in AAM and urban air mobility (UAM) across the region.

The infrastructure plan would include takeoff and landing procedures, technology integration and operation plans for vertiports and vertiport networks.

UrbanV plans and designs vertiports including route evaluations and interactions with regulators while Icad does construction, technology integration and operational management.

UrbanV is involved in other ventures in addition to the partnership with Icad.

For example, UrbanV teamed with EAV jet maker Lilium and airport management company Aeroports de la Cote d’Azur to bring Lilium electric jet flight to the South of France starting in 2026. 

The plan is to create a network to connect the French Riviera with Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.

The partners plan to establish and operate eVTOL vehicles within a network of vertiports including Nice Côte d’Azur airport, the second-largest airport in France, with Cannes Mandelieu Airport and Golfe de Saint-Tropez Airport.

For flying vehicles such as air taxis, vertiports are needed for takeoff and landings, passenger loading and unloading and charging and maintenance.

Numerous companies in Europe and the Middle East are involved in vertiport development along with companies in the U.S., such as Aeroauto Global in Florida.