1. Decision support tool for vertiport site selection (‘Vertiports’)

The optimal selection of locations for take-off and landing infrastructure is key for the successful implementation of Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) services in the future. In this project, we have developed a comprehensive tool for the selection of optimal vertiport locations, using a holistic approach. The tool comprises two separate models: one dedicated to identifying vertiport sites for passenger transport, and another focused on determining the locations of lockers for last-mile drone delivery. The key contributions of this work include: (i) a review of the requirements for vertiport sites; (ii) the definition of the mathematical model used for optimisation; (iii) the implementation of the models as an executable program; (iv) the demonstration of the tool in a case study in Madrid. We demonstrate the potential of the tool by solving over 200 optimization scenarios, proving the versatility of the tool and completing a sensitivity analysis.