Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority this week released guidelines for vertiport design following a public consultation process that closed at the end of March. The regulator has been assessing proposed requirements for eVTOL aircraft landing sites covering factors such as site selection, physical characteristics, and visual aids.
Melbourne-based vertiport developer Skyportz welcomed the initiative, for which it has long advocated. “This is a great step forward for Australia and shows our preparedness to welcome this new industry into Australian skies,” said company founder and CEO Clem Newton-Brown. Skyportz is working to develop vertiports at some 400 sites around Australia.
Last month, Skyportz unveiled a design for affordable, modular vertiports suitable for smaller locations. The company said the aluminum shell units, which it described as a vertiport-in-a-box, could be delivered and installed almost anywhere.
Earlier this year, Australia’s federal government released AU$36 million ($24 million) in funding to support plans to develop the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry in the country. It also published a roadmap to prepare for the introduction of eVTOLs. State governments in Victoria and Queensland have shown a willingness to support AAM development.
