{{Short description|Take-off and landing space for drones}} A '''vertiport''' (''verti-'' is for ''vertical'' and ''port'' for ''harbour'', analogous to ''airport'') is a future, as yet rarely realised concept of a take-off and landing site for electrically powered aircraft taking off and landing vertically, eVTOL craft.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://de.euronews.com/2022/05/01/mein-wunderbarer-vertiport-wo-kunftig-flugtaxis-landen-und-starten |title=Mein wunderbarer Vertiport: Wo künftig Flugtaxis landen und starten |last= |first= |date= May 2022|website=de.euronews.com |publisher= |language=de |trans-title= |access-date=2025-02-28 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/light/topics/vertiports-urban-environment |title=Vertiports in the Urban Environment |last= |first= |date= 24 March 2022|website=easa.europa.eu |publisher= |access-date=2024-12-28 |quote=}}</ref> It can be part of a vertihub if there is a large volume of air traffic. A vertiport is similar to a heliport or helipad.

== Proposed types == thumb|A helipad on a hospital, analogous to a possible vertiport thumb|A concept image of a vehicle landing at a vertiport thumb|A concept schematic representation of a vertiport

=== Vertihub ===

A ''vertihub'' is the largest unit of the eVTOL starting and landing infrastructure with multiple take-off and landing bays and additional bays for parking and maintenance.<ref name="mk">{{cite web |url=https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/to-take-off-flying-vehicles-first-need-places-to-land |title=To take off, flying vehicles first need places to land |last= |first= |date=2020-08-31 |website=mckinsey.com |publisher= |access-date=2024-06-01 |quote=}}</ref> It is a take-off and landing site for a large number of eVTOLs. It comprises at least two vertiports or vertipads and serves as the largest structure in the UAM environment. Vertihubs are intended for densely populated regions with high traffic volumes.<ref name="mk"/> The name is derived from ''vertical'' and ''hub'', which stands for ''airline hub''.

=== Vertibase ===

Vertibases are of medium size. They are located in suburbs with medium traffic volumes or at important work or retail locations. Typically, they have around three take-off and landing bays and twice as many parking and maintenance bays.<ref name="mk"/>

=== Vertistation ===

Vertistations are mobile and modular vertistation mobility hubs.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Urban Air Mobility: Systematic Review of Scientific Publications and Regulations for Vertiport Design and Operations |date= 2022|journal=Drones |doi=10.3390/drones6070179 |doi-access=free |quote= |last1=Schweiger |first1=Karolin |last2=Preis |first2=Lukas |volume=6 |issue=7 |page=179 |bibcode= 2022Drone...6..179S}}</ref>

=== Vertipad ===

Vertipads are the smallest unit. In city centres they fit well, e.g. on top of existing buildings.<ref name="mk"/>

== History ==

As there are currently only prototypes and no authorised series models of eVTOLs, all vertiports to date are only short-term, temporary projects. There has been a traditional rotary vertiport in Chicago, USA, since 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vertiportchicago.com/ |title=the only place to land |last= |first= |date= |website=vertiportchicago.com |publisher= |access-date=2024-06-01 |quote=}}</ref> From 2026, eVTOLs are also planned take off and land there.

The first vertiport prototype for eVTOLs in Singapore was created by Volocopter and Skyports as part of the ITS World Congress 2019 and exhibited for a few days at The Float at Marina Bay. The architecture is by Berlin-based innovation agency Brandlab.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/21/20974817/volocopter-flying-taxi-station-voloport-singapore-test-flight |title=The flying taxi future is coming, but it's elitist and underwhelming |last=Ong |first=Alexis |date=2019-11-21 |website=theverge.com |publisher= |access-date=2024-06-01 |quote=}}</ref>

== See also == * Air transport

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [https://de.euronews.com/2022/05/01/mein-wunderbarer-vertiport-wo-kunftig-flugtaxis-landen-und-starten Vertiport] * [https://www.collinsdictionary.com/de/worterbuch/englisch/vertiport Vertiport Collins] * [https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Design-of-Vertihub_fig6_351972809 Vertihub]

{{Commercial aviation}} Category:Civil aviation Category:Urban air mobility