First UK vertiport testbed approved for construction
Local planning authorities have approved the building of the UK’s first vertiport testbed at Bicester, Oxfordshire, with construction due to commence this Autumn.
A collaboration between 444-acre site Bicester Motion and Skyports Infrastructure, the new test site – situated adjacent to Bicester’s existing GA grass runway – will include a “compact 160 square metre passenger terminal which will be a critical facility for testing ground infrastructure and flight operations,” states Bicester Motion. Flying from the facility will be Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 eVTOL craft, which will utilise the site to “conduct demonstration flights and test key procedures ahead of commercial launch”.
With the green now light given by local planning authority Cherwell District Council, the planning permission “enables us to continue to host … aviation innovation and advance a world where sustainable and accessible electric aviation is in reach for all,” stated chief executive of Bicester Motion Daniel Geoghegan.
James Richmond, head of future flight, consortium lead AtkinsRéalis, described how the vertiport ‘living lab’ will “go beyond demonstrating flight procedures and will validate the entire ecosystem from the ground up;” describing the planning consent as a critical milestone that “provided important learning for all stakeholders involved”.
The vertiport will be developed as part of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, backed by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge. It will “serve as a key node for the Consortium’s wider testing programme, including demonstration flights, ground operations, aircraft integration, and public and stakeholder engagement,” added a Bicester spokesperson.
