Urban air mobility for airport access: Mode choice preference associated with socioeconomic status and airport usage behavior

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This study examined mode choice preference for airport access given the introduction of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) airport shuttle service and its associations with socioeconomic status and airport usage behavior. We designed the stated preference survey targeting Incheon International Airport in South Korea and collected data from 2,604 respondents. We provided six scenarios composed of a combination of experimental attributes (travel time, cost, and transfer frequency) for five alternative transport modes (airport train, airport bus, taxi, passenger car, and UAM) to each respondent and asked them to choose one most preferred mode in each scenario. A mixed multinomial logit model was used to consider the underlying characteristics of the collected data. The modeling results confirm that the preference for taking UAM varies by people’s socioeconomic status and airport usage behavior. People who have higher incomes, frequently use taxis, and want to arrive at airports quickly before boarding are more likely to take UAM for airport access. The findings imply that UAM may be able to become a kind of taxi service operating in the sky, but its expensive fares may discourage its popularization. The findings extend previous studies of airport-oriented UAM service as one of the first studies to consider airport usage behavior. This study provides policymakers with insight into feasible strategies to make UAM service a practical transportation mode for the public.