VITOLMINS

Coordinator: PILDO CONSULTING SL

Total Cost: 2 869 206,00€

EU Contributions: 2 198 807,00€

Project Call: HORIZON-EUSPA-2023-SPACE

Background & objectives

Vertiport accessibility in all weather conditions, and the integration of eVTOL operations at airports, not interfering with already existing traffic (mainly aircrafts), are seen as major elements to be taken into consideration for the success of IAM (Innovative Air Mobility) operations and services.

Today EGNSS provides accurate navigation capability, without requiring any specific ground infrastructure, to civil aviation users. Equally, EGNSS will be a key enabler to develop highly accurate eVTOL flight procedures in both, visual (VMC) and instrument (IMC) metereological conditions: 

• for busy airports where eVTOL and aircraft traffic need to be segregated to optimize the airport capacity: highly accurate flight procedures will allow fully independent operations between aircraft and eVTOL traffics on busy airport, without blocking runway slots reserved for transport aircraft, and vice versa;
• for isolated vertiport, heliport, landing location where eVTOLs will need to be integrated based on current airspace structure, with highly efficient flight paths, minimizing the noise footprint and avoiding most populated areas through higher levels of flexibility.

The implementation of these new eVTOL flight procedures has to take into account the expectations at environmental level, especially regarding the noise footprint reduction. Indeed, these new procedures might be implemented above urban areas and consequently the noise impact is a major aspect to consider, in particular towards public acceptance.

In addition, flight efficiency in terms of power consumption should be prioritized to minimize any impact on flight endurance. The current proposal includes the development of low noise flight criteria and capable EGNSS-Copernicus avionics towards the gradual integration of seamless, efficient,and accurate eVTOL operations at busy airports and other landing locations in all-weather.

Consortium: