Analysis of urban air transportation operational constraints and customer value attributes

Abstract

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a concept that proposes to provide short-range transportation solutions that enable customers to travel point-to-point more quickly than they can today using cars or public transportation. The concept of Urban Air Mobility is not new, but there has been rapidly increasing interest in providing air transportation services within major metropolitan areas. The combination of increasing congestion and advancements in electric aircraft and automation makes the Urban Air Mobility market more attractive for vehicle manufactures and transportation companies. There are many potential applications for new aircraft. However, these applications cannot be based solely on what is technological feasible, but must consider the market, demand, and customer needs. This thesis investigates these factors in order to identify operational challenges that may develop during the implementation and operation of an Urban Air Mobility system. The study focuses on Dallas-Fort Worth to set the scope to one potential early adoption market. The objective is to understand the Dallas-Fort Worth environment better in two dimensions. The first is resident's current perceptions and values. The second is the operational challenges and constraints associated with operating a UAM system. In order to meet this objective, a survey of community members and potential early adopters is conducted to determine customer's perceptions of a UAM system and identify operational challenges that may develop based on customer needs. Next, a case study is completed using 10 reference missions in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The missions represented potential commuter trips, point-to-point trips like sporting events, and randomly generated missions. Through this case study, nineteen operational challenges are identified that may impact the development, implementation, and operation of an Urban Air Mobility system. After reviewing each reference mission, community acceptance of aircraft noise and take off and landing area availability were identified as the operational constraints likely to cause the greatest challenges for UAM operations in Dallas Fort Worth.