Photo: Urban Movement Lab
Catching a flying taxi from a vertiport for regular commutes to major urban centers will no longer sound like a scene from a Sci-Fi movie. Judging by the current effervescence of the AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) sector, it’s getting ready to happen in just a couple of years. And Los Angeles claims to be at the forefront of that.
Back in 2020, Los Angeles worked with the World Economic Forum to establish “The Principles of the Urban Sky,” an initial guideline for future air taxi operations. Also, the city’s collaboration with eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) developers goes even further back, to 2018.
Another building block was added on the path to making Los Angeles a trailblazer for AAM. The Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti had first announced the collaboration with Urban Movement Labs (UML), which is now culminating with the publishing of an important report.
Named “Integrating Advanced Air Mobility: A Primer For Cities,” this report documents the ways in which the City of Los Angeles and UML have worked together to research AAM and accelerate its development. As the name suggests, the documents are also supposed to be used as a guideline in the field for other cities, offering a basic framework.
As everyone knows, it’s not enough to have the greatest, most advanced air taxis ready to fly. AAM is about developing from scratch a complex eco-system that requires specific infrastructure elements, regulations, and air traffic control features. In addition to that, each future location must address the specific issues in the area, and the local community’s needs.
The partnership between Los Angeles and UML helped bring together industry players, legislators, and community members. This new document will help set up AAM policies in the near future.
The certification of eVTOLs by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in 2025 is expected to be the milestone that will open the way for air taxi operations throughout the U.S. By that time, Los Angeles will already be one step ahead, due to many strategic collaborations, including with Overair and Skyports.
Another building block was added on the path to making Los Angeles a trailblazer for AAM. The Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti had first announced the collaboration with Urban Movement Labs (UML), which is now culminating with the publishing of an important report.
Named “Integrating Advanced Air Mobility: A Primer For Cities,” this report documents the ways in which the City of Los Angeles and UML have worked together to research AAM and accelerate its development. As the name suggests, the documents are also supposed to be used as a guideline in the field for other cities, offering a basic framework.
As everyone knows, it’s not enough to have the greatest, most advanced air taxis ready to fly. AAM is about developing from scratch a complex eco-system that requires specific infrastructure elements, regulations, and air traffic control features. In addition to that, each future location must address the specific issues in the area, and the local community’s needs.
The partnership between Los Angeles and UML helped bring together industry players, legislators, and community members. This new document will help set up AAM policies in the near future.
The certification of eVTOLs by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in 2025 is expected to be the milestone that will open the way for air taxi operations throughout the U.S. By that time, Los Angeles will already be one step ahead, due to many strategic collaborations, including with Overair and Skyports.
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