Why Early Infrastructure Planning Matters for AAM A-to-B Operations?
My personal take on early infrastructure planning for AAM is that every time I see AAM (advanced air mobility) aircraft like EHang flying A-to-A, people ask why we need to start planning infrastructure so early if true A-to-B flights are not even allowed yet.
For me, this is exactly the moment when planning matters most.
A-to-A flights are typically closed-loop demo or tourist flights, where the aircraft takes off and lands at the same location. They require limited airspace coordination and minimal ground infrastructure. But A-to-B flights are a different game. They involve multiple takeoff and landing sites, real passenger transport, defined routes, airspace corridors, traffic separation, and fully operational vertiport networks.
Real estate does not wait. If we do not identify and protect potential vertiport sites now, we risk losing valuable locations to other developments. Once a city is fully built, finding suitable sites for safe, efficient A-to-B operations becomes a real challenge.
Also, much of the technical preparation can happen long before full certification. We can already simulate airspace corridors, analyze obstacles, study noise impact, and prepare the data regulators will need when the time comes. This proactive work will make regulatory approvals faster and smoother in the future.
Public acceptance is another reason. Starting these discussions early allows communities and city planners to better understand what is coming, address concerns, and get comfortable with the idea of urban air mobility as a real transport option.
In short, even if the aircraft can only fly A-to-A today, the cities that start their infrastructure and airspace planning now will be the first to activate real A-to-B routes when regulations allow.
How many cities do you think are actually preparing today for this next step?
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