AirBility Integration of autonomous air taxis into the overall transport system

Integration of autonomous air taxis into the overall transport system

The use of autonomous air taxis can be found in various strategy papers and is being considered in various countries or is being prepared on the technological and legal side. So far, the consideration of autonomous air taxis has been largely separated from the overall transport system. It has not been investigated for Austria what autonomous air taxis can contribute to the overall transport system as a new mode of transport. However, these considerations must be made in advance of a roll-out in order to be able to cushion negative effects on the transport system in time and to counteract rebound effects, which in addition to displacement effects can also include a change in the mobility behaviour of road users (keyword: acceptance).

The two-year research project "AirBility", which is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG and the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) in the research programme "Take Off", is dedicated to precisely this research gap.

The aim of the "AirBility" project is to investigate various issues regarding the integration of autonomous air taxis into the overall transport system. The project will show what spatial, economic and social impact the integration of autonomous air taxis as a new mode of transport has on the overall transport system - illustrated using various use cases. Based on KPIs, the use cases are then evaluated, checked with regard to their mass suitability and fact sheets are derived. Recommendations are also made as to which use cases are profitable and contribute to improved traffic flow. An experience simulation makes the use cases tangible for different stakeholder groups and provides information about the attractiveness of the individual use cases for stakeholders.

The necessary expertise is provided by an interdisciplinary consortium consisting of AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, FH JOANNEUM Gesellschaft mbH, PLANUM Fallast Tischler & Partner GmbH, BRIMATECH Services GmbH and Austro Control GmbH.