Volocopter, SITA Partner to Create Urban Air Mobility Infrastructure

Volocopter Partners with SITA on Urban Air Mobility Infrastructure

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M, Crosby

Urban air mobility (UAM) leader Volocopter has entered a partnership with air transport industry IT provider SITA. The agreement positions SITA as Volocopter’s preferred digital and IT systems partner for vertiports, as well as the latest investor in Volocopter’s Series E funding round.

UAM has the potential to usher in a new age of sustainable aviation, offering numerous mobility options to cities around the globe. Volocopter’s VoloCity electric air taxi will operate routes in megacities to provide passengers with a safe and reliable method of transportation. Passengers will be able to hail a flight via designated boarding points (or “vertiports”).

SITA will leverage its air transport expertise for the burgeoning UAM industry, creating new operating standards and a digital-first passenger experience. The company’s portfolio features a broad range of IT solutions, such as airport management and operations, passenger operations, flight and aircraft operations, baggage processing, and border management.

Known for its integrated UAM ecosystem approach, Volocopter’s VoloIQ digital operating system connects all partners, allowing for a digital-first approach resulting in end-to-end passenger air transportation experiences. The system is currently undergoing the certification process, conducted by the relevant aviation authorities.

“Volocopter consistently takes a holistic ecosystem approach. Working in concert with our partners, we are setting up for commercial operations,” said Volocopter Chief Commercial Officer Christian Bauer. “This involves establishing the requisite infrastructure, maintenance, flight operations, IT, and customer services. SITA is a leading IT provider for airports and airlines, and we believe there is no better partner to make our seamless travel experience possible.”

“Volocopter is in pole position to make electric air taxis a reality, benefiting from its first-mover advantage. At SITA, we will play a key role in delivering this new digital UAM world and defining a seamless, smarter approach to air travel in a city environment,” said Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe. “Together we will turn the theory into practice as early as 2024 when we expect the first commercial eVTOLs to take flight.”

Read more:

• Volocopter Funding: $182 Million in Second Signing Series E
• Volocopter Opens First VoloCity Exhibition: Air Taxis of the Future
• VoloConnect First Flight: Volocopter eVTOL Travels Further and Faster
• VoloIQ Aerospace Cloud Project: Volocopter and Microsoft Collaborate

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.