Mott MacDonald and UrbanV join forces for vertiport development

Mott MacDonald, a global management, engineering, and development consultancy, and UrbanV, a leader in vertiport design and management, announce a partnership for the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure. ROME, October 18, 2023: The goal is to identify and explore opportunities suitable for the development of projects in the AAM area worldwide, leveraging UrbanV's operational experience and Mott MacDonald's expertise. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the feasibility and scope of collaboration on projects in the airport, vertiport, and AAM sectors on a global scale. Together, they will identify the geographic areas and partnerships that will promote AAM globally over the next five years. AAM is a new concept of air mobility: electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft transport people and goods to places currently not served or not adequately served by surface transport or air transport. eVTOLs can be powered by hybrid electric systems, batteries, or, potentially, hydrogen fuel cells. Mott MacDonald, one of the most experienced aviation consultancy firms in the world, provides services ranging from master planning to business case development, design, delivery management, and corporate change. The firm's teams work with states, investors, operators, and airlines at more than 250 airports worldwide — small regional airports as well as global hubs such as Singapore Changi, Istanbul, London Heathrow, and New York JFK. UrbanV is a company established by Aeroporti di Roma, Gruppo SAVE, Aeroports de la Côte d'Azur, and Bologna Airport to build commercial AAM networks starting in Rome, where the first route (Fiumicino Airport – Rome city center) will be activated by the end of 2024. So says Horacio Rossi, project principal at Mott MacDonald: "After more than 40 years in the aviation industry and more than 1,000 completed projects, we are glad to contribute to realizing the potential of AAM. Our team already has experience in vertiport development, from strategic orientation to the master plan by size, from terminals to charging infrastructure, from aerodrome layout to efficient and safe operation, to the crucial connections with other means of transport. The potential of AAM is incredible, and we look forward to working together with UrbanV to develop these opportunities." Carlo Tursi, CEO of UrbanV, adds: "At UrbanV, we aim to improve people's lives by offering a fast, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly alternative to existing transport solutions for people and goods over short distances, by air. We aspire to become a major global operator of vertiport networks, starting from Italy and France, where we are working with our founding partners to define the first AAM routes worldwide. We are excited to partner with Mott MacDonald and look forward to developing new opportunities together on a global scale." Mott MacDonald already works in various parts of the world on multiple projects in the AAM field. It has produced a global vertiport manual including strategic concept, customer experience, and terminal design. It is also supporting a consortium that is designing a network of at least 25 vertiports in the United Kingdom, helping to develop ideas regarding operations, design, and engineering components. According to a Precedence Research study, the global Advanced Air Mobility market was worth $8.93 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach a value of approximately $45.12 billion by 2030.