Demand and impact assessment of Regional Air Mobility

Using a passenger-response, agent-based demand model based on a 5% sample of the German population, we assessed the demand for 19-seat hybrid-electric aircraft in Germany and neighboring countries. Against car, rail, long-distance bus, and conventional aviation on a door-to-door basis, with the network including 235 airports or airfields, RAM delivers average time savings of ~48 minutes versus the fastest available mode on 25% of routes, and ~1.2 hours versus currently chosen modes on 35% of routes, with the strongest benefits on routes above 400 km.

Assuming up to ~80% CO₂-eq reduction compared to conventional aircraft by 2050 and ticket prices comparable to first-class rail in Germany, early adoption is most likely among business and higher-income travelers, particularly for trips longer than 400 km and those originating from suburban and rural areas. RAM can also improve the overall ease of travel moderately, especially for high-income and business travelers and on longer-distance trips. These gains are similar for routes with urban and non-urban origins.
Overall, RAM has the potential to improve travel times and the overall ease of travel, motivating the need for technological solutions that can deliver credible performance and scalable operations at competitive cost, while meeting the safety, certification, and infrastructure requirements for real-world deployment.