- Skyports and Bicester Motion have started building the UK’s first vertiport for testing eVTOL aircraft in Bicester.
- The project, part of the Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge, will open in early 2025.
- The vertiport will test eVTOL aircraft, air traffic management, and ground infrastructure, advancing future air taxi services.
Skyports and Bicester Motion start building the UK’s first vertiport for eVTOL testing
Skyports and Bicester Motion have officially broken ground on the UK’s first vertiport testbed in Bicester, Oxfordshire. It’s a huge step towards sci-fi-seeming air taxi services.
Duncan Walker, Chief Executive Officer, Skyports, commented:
“With spades in ground and the site beginning to take shape, today we are one step closer to delivering our vertiport at Bicester Motion. Our thanks to the project and construction teams for their work so far and we look forward to opening the facility in a few months’ time to continue our efforts to develop and scale electric air taxi services.”
The project is part of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, an Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge initiative. Once completed in early 2025, the vertiport will serve as a testing ground for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
It will also support trials for ground infrastructure and air traffic management systems. These innovations will play a major role in advancing electric, low-noise aviation in the UK.
Daniel Geoghegan, Chief Executive Officer, Bicester Motion, commented:
“It’s great to see Skyports’ vertiport being built right here in Bicester. Once complete, it will support vertical take-off and landing aircraft testing as part of advanced air mobility innovation. We’re proud to support this vertiport testbed as part of our strategic vision to integrate both traditional and vertical aviation operations from our airfield and boost pioneering future mobility discovery.”
Located next to Bicester Motion’s existing grass runways, the vertiport will be a key site for testing next-generation aircraft. An inauguration event will be held once the facility is ready. This event will feature demonstration flights by Vertical Aerospace, one of the project’s key partners.
As the facility comes to life, it signals the dawn of a new era in aviation. eVTOL aircraft are paving the way for faster, cleaner, quieter air travel in the UK and further afield.
