UK’s first electric air taxi vertiport testbed receives approval

Plans to construct the UK’s first vertiport testbed for the electric air taxi industry have been given the green light by Cherwell District Council.

The project, a collaboration between Bicester Motion and Skyports Infrastructure, will be built at the 444-acre future mobility estate in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

The vertiport, which allows aircraft to take off and land vertically, will be positioned adjacent to Bicester Motion’s existing general aviation grass runways. It will include a compact 160 sq m passenger terminal, serving as a critical facility for testing ground infrastructure and flight operations.

Daniel Geoghegan, chief executive officer of Bicester Motion, hailed the approval as “a significant moment for Bicester Motion and the future of aviation here”. He added, “The vertiport green light enables us to continue to host such aviation innovation and advance a world where sustainable and accessible electric aviation is in reach for all, with Bicester Motion at the centre.”

Skyports Infrastructure has partnered with Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company pioneering zero-emissions aviation. Vertical Aerospace’s latest VX4 prototype will be the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to fly at the Skyports vertiport.

The VX4, designed to be piloted and carry four passengers with a range of up to 100 miles, successfully completed its first tethered piloted flight in July. It is now progressing through a robust piloted test flight programme.

Duncan Walker, chief executive officer of Skyports, expressed excitement about the project’s next phase: “With the green light from Cherwell District Council, now begins the exciting stage in vertiport development: building it. The tests and trials we conduct at this facility will be instrumental to the future of quiet, electric, vertical flight.”

The vertiport is being developed as part of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, a group of leading British aviation, technology and transportation organisations. The consortium is backed by the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight Challenge and aims to pioneer advanced air mobility in the UK.

Michael Cervenka, chief commercial & technology officer at Vertical Aerospace, highlighted the vertiport’s importance: “The Skyports vertiport is a critical piece of infrastructure, helping to get our VX4 aircraft up into the air and demonstrate to the world that the future of flight is electric.”

Construction of the vertiport is scheduled to begin in the autumn, and the facility is expected to play a significant role in enabling the next generation of electric, low-noise aviation in the UK.