Skyports Infrastructure has shared more details after it supported SkyDrive’s eVTOL aircraft demo flights in Tokyo with its Vertiport Automation System (VAS), helping to underpin the safe and efficient ground and flight operations.

Taking place from February 24th to 28th, the event saw demo flights of SkyDrive’s remotely piloted aircraft over Tokyo Bay. Skyports was appointed to integrate its VAS and help create a fully functional passenger terminal to provide members of the public with a glimpse of the future electric air taxi passenger experience.

Core technologies for safe and seamless eVTOL operations

Collaborating with SkyDrive, Skyport’s VAS provided the technical backbone for seamless flight and ground operations. Integrating with SkyDrive’s eVTOL aircraft, VAS was responsible for monitoring the surrounding airspace, weather monitoring and situational awareness, the management of landing and take-off slot availability and the digital management of ground equipment.

During the flights, flight data was integrated into the airspace monitoring system, helping to facilitate the aircraft’s automated control and remote piloting.

The future AAM passenger experience

Skyports was also responsible for the vertiport terminal demo and integrating the technologies that help facilitate the seamless AAM passenger experience of the future.

The temporary vertiport terminal, which was integrated with Skyport’s VAS, was designed for minimal dwell time. It included advanced passenger check in technologies such as facial recognition, security screening, flight information displays and information on boarding procedures. The vertiport also included passenger amenities such as comfortable lounge facilities and passenger viewing deck.

Skyport’s VAS, and the overall flight monitoring were managed from a dedicated Operations Room within the vertiport, which provided operatives with a holistic view of the aircraft’s ground and flight operations, alongside passenger status and check-in, facilitating a seamless customer experience.



A public preview of future flight in Japan

Under the sponsorship of Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the overall project was run and developed with the aim of exploring how electric air taxis could integrate into Japan’s future transport networks.

Within the partnership, Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd was responsible for the overall project management, the overall development of the terminal building, and applying the findings of the trial into how air taxis would integrate into Japan’s urban environment.

Kanematsu was responsible for the organization of regulatory and technical information, study of the operation of the vertiport, demonstration with evaluation of the operation of the vertiport terminal, and sub-contracting Skyports for its Vertiport Automation System and vertiport technologies.

Yun Yuan Tay, Head of APAC, Skyports Infrastructure, said: “Japan has always sat at the leading edge of technological development globally, and this public demo of SkyDrive’s eVTOL aircraft, alongside the future vertiport experience, cements Japan’s ambitions when it comes to integrating AAM within the fabric of its urban environments.

“For AAM to be a success it ultimately needs to be safe and efficient and provide a next level passenger experience, and it’s been an honour for Skyports to showcase how our technologies can provide this critical link between the ground and the air.”