Banburyshire council makes history enabling first ever vertical aircraft trials in the UK

The council’s decision to allow the vertical take-off and landing site at Bicester has enabled the first step to be taken in what could be a $9 trillion industry by 2040.

Residents may soon see craft flying overhead during test and trial flights for prototype electric machines.

It is a new method of electric air transportation called Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) which will be used to transport people or cargo over short distances in urban or rural environments. A journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf in London could take as little as 12 minutes.

The goal is to move them more effectively, especially in underserved or remote communities.

The aircraft used to do this are known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. They are powered by electric batteries and take off like a helicopter, but fly like an aeroplane. Their main benefits include reduced noise, increased safety and zero emissions.

Jason Pritchard, Executive Editor at eVTOL Insights, said: “Advanced Air Mobility is going to transform the way we can travel in the future. The idea of taking a flight from Liverpool to Hull or Swansea to Exeter is a very real possibility and it will unlock so many opportunities for zero emissions travel in the UK.

“This industry is only going to get more exciting and as someone who grew up in Banbury, it's even more thrilling to know the first vertiport test-bed in the country will be close to where I grew up.”

According to a 2021 market valuation by Morgan Stanley, the AAM industry could be worth $1 trillion dollars by 2030, and worth up to $9 trillion by 2040.

Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace anticipates its first eVTOL aircraft operations in the UK could start as early as 2028. Using its VX4 aircraft, which can transport four passengers, it says, a journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf in London could take as little as 12 minutes.

The Cherwell project is the first permanent UK AAM infrastructure proposal to secure planning consent.

Part of the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight Challenge, the vertiport will serve as a key node for the business consortium’s wider testing programme, including demonstration flights, ground operations, aircraft integration and public and stakeholder engagement.

This includes test flights of Vertical Aerospace’s latest VX4 prototype aircraft, which completed its first tethered piloted flight in July.

Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports: “With the green light from Cherwell District Council, now begins the exciting stage in vertiport development - building it. The tests and trials we conduct at this facility will be instrumental to the future of quiet, electric, vertical flight. We are proud to be playing a pioneering role in shaping the future of this exciting industry in the UK.”

Skyports Infrastructure, the leader in vertiport infrastructure for the AAM industry, has unveiled the designs for the UK’s first permanent vertiport testbed for the electric air taxi industry, with partners Bicester Motion, the 444-acre future mobility estate in Bicester, and Vertical Aerospace, a global aerospace and technology company pioneering zero-emissions aviation through the development of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

The images show the vertiport positioned adjacent to Bicester Motion’s existing general aviation grass runways, where it will continue the airfield’s long history of aerospace innovation.

The vertiport will include a compact 160 sqare metre passenger terminal which will be a critical facility for testing ground infrastructure and flight operations and will play a significant role in enabling the next generation of electric, low noise aviation in the UK.

The new designs showcase Vertical’s latest VX4 prototype, which will be the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to fly at the Skyports vertiport. The VX4 is designed to be piloted, carry four passengers and has a range of up to 100 miles. The aircraft successfully completed its first tethered piloted flight in July and is now progressing through its robust piloted test flight programme.

Vertical will use the Skyports vertiport to conduct demonstration flights and test key procedures ahead of commercial launch. Construction will begin in the Autumn.

Daniel Geoghegan, chief executive, Bicester Motion said: “This is a significant moment for Bicester Motion and the future of aviation here. The former RAF Bicester was born in a period of intense technological innovation and played its role in 1938 when the Halifax prototype L7244 flew its maiden trial flights from Bicester.

“Today, we continue to welcome aircraft from all eras including new mobility technologies to provide a viable future for our historic airfield through such pioneering partnerships as Skyports.

"The vertiport green light enables us to continue to host such aviation innovation and advance a world where sustainable and accessible electric aviation is in reach for all, with Bicester Motion at the centre.”

Michael Cervenka, Chief Commercial and Technology Officer at Vertical Aerospace, said: “The Skyports vertiport is a critical piece of infrastructure, helping to get our VX4 aircraft up into the air and demonstrate to the world that the future of flight is electric.

"We’re excited to see what the vertiport will look like as we move into an important phase of the industry – making this real. The tests we carry out here in Bicester with our VX4 will advance our understanding of electric aviation and revolutionise how we travel – paving the way for zero emissions, quiet flight.”

The vertiport is being developed as part of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium: a group of leading British aviation, technology and transportation organisations pioneering AAM in the UK, backed by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge.

The vertiport will serve as a key node for the Consortium’s wider testing programme, including demonstration flights, ground operations, aircraft integration and public and stakeholder engagement.