Adoption of the Urban Air Mobility System: Analysis of technical, legal and social aspects from a European perspective

Abstract

As the demand for mobility and traffic in European urban areas continues to grow, innovative transportation solutions, particularly Urban Air Mobility (UAM), are gaining increasing prominence. UAM takes advantage of the third dimension to reduce ground traffic by integrating low-noise electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). Nonetheless, the successful implementation of UAM necessitates not only technological advancements but also the legal framework and social considerations to guarantee effective and safe operations. Holistic investigations of UAM are scarce, especially in the European context. Therefore, this study discusses the developments and challenges of UAM from technical, legal, and social perspectives and derives a set of UAM-tailored design drivers for the effective deployment of UAM in Europe. A comprehensive literature review is conducted on the state of the art of UAM technologies, regulations, and public attitudes. Various eVTOL configurations are compared, taking into account pertinent system factors such as energy efficiency and suitability for short- or long-duration missions. Besides, the cost-effectiveness of eVTOL configurations for a specific mission is evaluated through a cost-optimization analysis: the total cost is calculated to be around 2 € per payload-kilometer, which is approximately tenfold the current price for road transport. The regulatory activities of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency are discussed for the period 2017-2022, during which several systematic improvements to the regulations have been introduced. Typical factors for assessing the public acceptance of UAM are identified, and a survey is conducted across European medium-sized cities to gain insights into public opinion. The survey results indicate that 59\% of the respondents are moderately positive toward UAM deployment, representing a more cautious attitude compared to findings from studies conducted in metropolitan cities or countries. Furthermore, 56\% of respondents are willing to try out delivery services with aerial vehicles, while, 32\% would use air taxis. This is in contrast with studies conducted in metropolitan areas or at the country level. Based on the proposed holistic investigation of UAM, the set of design drivers can be identified to reduce uncertainty in UAM adoption and ensure a flawless deployment.