Using rooftops for air taxi take-offs, landings can help address urban congestion: Report

New Delhi (PTI): Air taxis, as well as using rooftops for their take-offs and landings, can help in easing the country's urban transport congestion by addressing infrastructure bottlenecks and reducing transit time, according to a report.

Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, or air taxis, are at a nascent stage in the emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem, and they require vertiports for their take-offs and landings.

The report titled 'Navigating the Future of Advanced Air Mobility in India', prepared by industry body CII, has also suggested that financial institutions can look at having dedicated financing instruments for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), such as venture leasing mechanisms and sector-specific infrastructure funds.

Rooftop vertiports offer an efficient, scalable and cost-effective solution, especially in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Such vertiports can be placed within commercial hubs, hospitals, tech parks, and residential towers, closer to where people live and work, the report said.

Currently, regulations do not permit routine commercial vertical take-offs and landings from rooftops.

Suggesting a sequenced approach for trials pertaining to AAM solutions, the report said things can start with drone delivery, followed by medical logistics, organ transport missions and eventually air ambulance services.

One of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets, India's air traffic demand is on the rise, and efforts are on to boost the last-mile connectivity for people through various modes amid urban congestion woes.

The report has evaluated the feasibility of AAM in India by modelling a hypothetical 65–75 kilometres corridor connecting Gurugram, the central hub of Connaught Place, and the newly operational Jewar gateway. All these areas are in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh is set to be operational soon.