Establishing a new business concept like urban air mobility (UAM) is crucial for the future of transportation. However, ensuring its financial viability is equally important. A crucial factor in the financial planning of UAM services is landing fees, which can be calculated using an economic model that takes into consideration the capital expenditures (CAPEX), the operational expenditures (OPEX), and operational parameters.


Development of business models for vertiports.

Our analysis of CAPEX and OPEX for different vertiport configurations shows that smaller vertiports do not benefit from economies of scale. Many of the infrastructure costs, like those for terminal construction, are fixed and do not decrease proportionally with the size, leading to higher landing fees for smaller vertiports. Additionally, longer turnaround times for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft reduce the utilization rate of the infrastructure, limiting the number of aircraft served in the same period.

To go beyond merely covering vertiport costs, innovative business models are necessary. Using the St. Gallen Business Model Navigator methodology, three potential models emerged: Dynamic Vertiport Service Pricing, which introduces flexibility through service-level definitions; eVTOL Pool, a digital application for comparing different travel options; and shAIRport, which explores decentralized ownership of vertiports.

Given the nascent stage of this market, fully anticipating future needs is challenging, making adaptability a key component of any successful business model. As UAM evolves, the ability to quickly adjust to technological and market shifts will be crucial to sustaining profitability.

Economic model for financial planning of UAM

CAPEX, OPEX, and operational parameters – each with their respective cost factors – constitute the total annual costs a vertiport must manage. By estimating the number of landings, the cost per landing can be determined, and a profit margin may be applied to establish the landing fees charged to each eVTOL.

Landing costs by area size and turnaround time

In scenarios with varying vertiport area sizes, there is an inverse correlation between size and cost per landing. Similarly, longer turnaround times result in higher costs per landing.

Glossary: UAM urban air mobility, CAPEX capital expenditures, OPEX operational expenditures, eVTOL electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft

AMI (Air Mobility Initiative) Air Shuttle is supported by the Bavarian Aviation research program under the grant agreement HAM-2109-0008.

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