ADVANCING AIR MOBILITY OVERCOMING CHALLENGES, SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), as analysed by M P RAJASEKHARAN, explores solutions for reducing urban congestion and enhancing access to remote locations through sustainable, automated air transport systems, addressing key challenges and future opportunities in this evolving sector.

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Why AAM?

The Surface Transport System is becoming increasingly inefficient due to heavy traffic congestion in Urban/Suburban areas, due to poor road connectivity and increased travel time to rural Towns, villages, remote locations and islands, which are locations of great interest for various reasons. Hence, travelling by air in a cost-effective manner across these locations has become an absolute necessity. All the new evolving technologies in transportation must be environment friendly, leaving the least possible carbon footprint, with due consideration to socio-economic developments.

Urban Air mobility (UAM) is expected to transport people/cargo over congested cities, and Regional Air Mobility (RAM) is to facilitate quick connectivity to suburban areas, villages or remote locations. UAM and RAM together constitute the AAM. AAM is expected to comprise of aircraft with EVTOL capability or using hybrid fuels or Hydrogen fuel cells so as to develop into a cost-effective and environment friendly transport system for the future. In the near future, a sizable segment of passengers is expected to book Air taxis on their smartphones to reach railway stations, Airports or hospitals for quick medical assistance.

Following are the critical areas for safe and successful development of AAM systems, viz: Infrastructure development, Traffic information/management capability, seamless integration into the existing Air Traffic Management, Navigation system, technological innovations and development of appropriate regulatory and security frame works.

The Air Navigation Committee(ANC) under ICAO has already constituted the AAM study group as mandated by the 41st assembly of ICAO.

Air Traffic Management and Automation in AAM