Eve is actively championing the development of solutions and concepts worldwide to support the evolution of a globally harmonized traffic management system for safely scaling Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations. This work includes the publication of multiple Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) for Urban Air Traffic Management (Urban ATM), live trials simulating UAM operations using helicopters, and testing of Urban ATM technology.
The company’s past projects emphasize the importance of collaboration across industry and government, including initiatives involving Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and regulatory authorities. Eve’s concept development work also includes vertiport developers, airports, operators, other OEMs and UAM ecosystem stakeholders. Ensuring those involved in traditional operations and new UAM operations is vital to the development of future ATM concepts.
The key completed projects that support the development of a holistic ecosystem and future global harmonization of Urban ATM are:
- Urban Air Traffic Management Concept of Operations – Co-developed with Australia’s ANSP, Airservices Australia, this CONOPS was one of the first bodies of work to define the new services necessary to support the safe introduction and scaling of UAM operations. The CONOPS was further supported by real and fast-time simulations quantifying the constraints of the current ATM system and the efficiency, predictability, and capacity gained through the services in the CONOPS.
- UK CAA Regulatory Sandbox Project UAM CONOPS – Eve led a consortium of organizations consisting of NATS, Heathrow and London City airports, Skyports, Atech, Vertical Aerospace, and Volocopter in the development of a UAM CONOPS focused on airspace integration as part of the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Regulatory Sandbox initiative. This CONOPS focused on the regulatory challenges for introducing and safely scaling UAM operations using the London environment as a use case and the respective procedures and services that will be necessary to overcome them. The CONOPS underwent multiple iterations with intensive feedback cycles, including UK CAA subject matter experts, to produce a body of work that reflects a practical, incremental, and feasible approach to safely scaling UAM operations. This work supported the UK CAA’s own publication on the Key Considerations for Airspace Integration within a UAM Landscape.
- In November 2023, Eve, in collaboration with global private aviation leader Flexjet, conducted an initial software simulation of Eve’s cutting-edge Urban ATM solution. The initiative validated and refined the software through user testing and feedback on its interface and industry value. With London being one of the world’s foremost helicopter markets and a key focus for future eVTOL operations, the simulation took place over four days at Flexjet’s Tactical Control Centre at Farnborough Airport, UK, and saw Eve’s Urban ATM software shadowing live helicopter flights, performing the kind of services that will be essential to enabling future UAM operations. Flexjet operates a fleet of 11 helicopters in the UK, and its group of companies is one of Eve’s Urban ATM fleet operator customers. Leading UK helicopter operator Flexjet provided its helicopter fleet to perform flights, collaborating closely with Eve’s Urban ATM team. NATS, the UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services, and London Heliport supported the initiative by providing additional feedback to help ensure Eve’s solution will provide the greatest value to all UAM ecosystem participants.
In addition to the above projects led by Eve, several other CONOPS incorporating the Urban ATM concept have been published globally, such as the K-UAM Concept of Operations 1.0, published by UAM Team Korea, and the Concept of Operations for Advanced Air Mobility, published by the Japanese Public-Private Council for Air Mobility Revolution.
Eve is leveraging decades of experience developing trusted ATM systems that keep our skies safe today to bring this vision into reality. Our solutions will advance the Urban ATM concept, serving as a key enabler to the implementation and scalability of UAM through services for ANSPs, urban authorities, fleet operators, vertiport operators, and other UAM stakeholders.
From before take-off to after landing, the urban environment will count on the integrated systems, services and technologies being developed by Eve to enable a safe, efficient and predictable ecosystem to support eVTOL operations alongside many other airspace users. In the future, the advancement of infrastructure and regulation will rely on these network management services to enable uncrewed flights.
Eve’s Urban ATM solutions will address critical challenges for the launch of eVTOL operations, including:
- Predictability of UAM aircraft flight operations
- Managing delay and disruption due to events outside of the operator’s control
- Stakeholder situational awareness
- Guaranteed vertiport FATO & Stand availability and alternate management
In the past few days, we have been discussing the UAM operating environment, the Urban ATM concept and Eve’s solutions to address and support eVTOL operations.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit us to learn more and discuss these topics, visit us at the Atech stand F22.
About the author: Rob Weaver is the Urban ATM Global Business Development Lead for Eve Air Mobility, the Embraer backed start-up dedicated to accelerating the global UAM ecosystem. He also leads Entry Into Service planning for Eve’s eVTOL aircraft in Australia.
Rob has worked with Embraer-X and Eve on new ATM concepts to support UAM since 2018. Previously he was Executive General Manager Safety, Environment & Assurance at Airservices Australia, where he was a member of the Executive for six years. He has also worked for the UK’s Air Navigation Service Provider and holds a PhD in safety critical systems from the University of York.