#Industry News
Skyports expands its UK vertiport network
For U.K.-based Skyports, the recent acquisition of Falcon Heliports expands on the company’s strategy to secure, develop, and operate a network of vertiports that will be used as a take-off and landing pad for future eVTOL aircraft.
The vertiport developer announced the acquisition in January and said that until eVTOLs take off, the heliport will continue its existing operations serving the helicopter market under its new name, Skyports London Heliport. But by the middle of this decade, Skyports expects to repurpose the heliport to also accommodate advanced air mobility.
“This is an exciting moment for Skyports,” said Damian Kysely, head of Europe and Middle East at Skyports, in a press release. “The acquisition demonstrates our ambition to deliver a network of operational landing sites for eVTOLs and our commitment to making the U.K. a leader in decarbonization of domestic aviation.”
He said the heliport also provides Skyports with an operating environment where it can test its systems, collect operational data, and mature its technologies. The infrastructure company said it has already started using the site to test its vertiport systems.
Located in East London near the Canary Wharf financial district, the heliport is one of only two operational heliports in London. Skyports believes converting the site to a vertiport will add new routes to other parts of the U.K. once eVTOL aircraft are certified to operate.
“Passengers travelling from Canary Wharf will be able to hop on an eVTOL and reach all of London’s airports within 20 minutes, or fly to Bristol in under 50 minutes,” the company press release stated.
In addition to the U.K., Skyports has its sights set on developing its vertiport network in various locations around the world, including Italy, Malaysia, and Japan, among other markets.
