The future of urban air mobility is rapidly taking shape, with advanced air mobility — or AAM —solutions like drones, air taxis, and other electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft primed for significant growth and adoption. However, the success and long-term viability of AAM operations depend greatly on addressing a critical challenge: the unique and localized weather phenomena around vertiport infrastructure in high-density urban centers and beyond.
Engaged in various publicly funded and private initiatives in the AAM space globally for the past five years, Vaisala is now at the forefront of developing weather sensing and data solutions tailored for vertiports and AAM operations. With deep expertise in aviation meteorology and almost 90 years of experience in precise environmental monitoring, the global leader in measurement instruments and intelligence is uniquely positioned to maximize safety and operational efficiency as this new concept of air transportation continues to evolve.
KEY CHALLENGES:
- Weather awareness is paramount to guaranteeing safe and efficient AAM activities, yet traditional aviation weather data is insufficient, given the hyperlocal conditions that drones and eVTOL aircraft experience around built infrastructure.
- Beyond the fundamental concerns of rainfall or visibility, microlevel meteorological details like wind gusts and vortices, icing risks, lightning, boundary-layer height, and temperature fluctuations significantly impact critical phases like takeoff, approach maneuvers and flight range at vertiport and enroute.
Vaisala delivers various sensors, including ceilometers, visibility sensors and profiling and scanning lidars, combined with insights and forecasting software and services to facilitate two critical phases for vertiport design and development and AAM operations:
- Assessment phase: Early vertiport network planning and site selection across urban spaces and geographically underserved communities demands in-depth analysis of predominant local weather conditions via sensing campaigns and historical data studies to evaluate service viability, adjust ConOps (concepts of operations), and business case economics.
- Operational phase: Real-time monitoring of hyperlocal conditions through specialized sensor networks and integrated data feeds for flight planning, traffic and fleet management, and decision support delivers high-resolution forecasting from minutes to days ahead and automated evaluation of weather constraints at vertiports and along flight corridors.
By accounting for weather factors from the ground up, Vaisala’s weather sensing and data solutions enable AAM developers, vertiport operators and service providers to mitigate risks, minimize disruptions and unlock the full potential of this transformative mode of urban transportation — all while ensuring the highest levels of safety.
Fernando Trolia Slamic, Director of Strategy and Business Development, Weather and Environment, Vaisala stated, “The future of our skies will be shaped by vertiport operators’ and pilots’ ability to understand and adapt to localized atmospheric conditions. With our proven track record and continuous investment in cutting-edge meteorological innovation, we can make advanced air mobility a reality through uncompromising weather intelligence.”
