Airservices Australia has signed a memorandum of understanding with global aerospace manufacturer Wisk Aero which will help both organisations gain insights into the future airspace management needs of Advanced Air Mobility operations, such as air taxis.
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is the next generation of aviation technology and is set to transform transportation with aircraft designed for urban and regional travel. Offering faster, cleaner, and more efficient ways to move people and goods, they have the potential to reduce congestion, cut emissions, and provide rapid, point-to-point journeys.
The arrangement will enable Wisk, which has developed all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to be operated as air taxis, and Australia's air navigation service provider to share expertise which will pave the way for safe advanced air travel in the coming decades.
In Australia it's predicted there'll be approximately 1-million air taxi flights each year by 2043. Providers such as Wisk are planning to have air taxi services available for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
As part of this MOU, we will be conducting a series of workshops and simulations aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of how Advanced Air Mobility systems will seamlessly integrate with Airservices systems into the national airspace.
Airservices Australia Interim Chief Executive Officer Rob Sharp said this partnership signified an important step towards fostering industry collaboration that would identify future requirements and ensure the successful incorporation of AAM into Australia's airspace infrastructure.
"Airservices will share its air navigation technical engineering and air traffic management expertise to support design, development, and validation of air taxi operations concepts in Australia," Mr Sharp said.
"The mutual benefit of this knowledge-sharing arrangement is it will help both organisations better understand industry needs and challenges and collaborate on strategies to ensure the safe and sustainable use of Australian airspace.
"This non-exclusive MOU is an example of Airservices' commitment to working with industry to develop solutions that will enable emerging technologies to transform connectivity over short distances for a range of applications, including travel and emergency response."
About Airservices
Airservices Australia is the Federal Government-owned organisation responsible for the safety of 11 per cent of the world's airspace and the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia's busiest airports. We work closely with our customers and industry to support the long-term growth of the aviation industry and are investing in technologies to position Australia at the forefront of innovation in the global aviation industry.
