A Top-Down Methodology for Global Urban Air Mobility Demand Estimation
Madhukar Mayakonda, Cedric Y. Justin, Akshay Anand, Colby J. Weit, Jiajie Wen, Turab Zaidi, Dimitri N. Mavris
Abstract
The convergence of several key technologies during the past decade are enabling the ideation of new Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concepts of operations. UAM systems have the potential to bring significant improvements to the way people move and commute within cities and these include a reduction in commuting time, a reduction of roadway congestion, and a reduction of emissions. Understanding the potential demand for UAM services is crucial for the various stakeholders in order to ensure that the air traffic management systems, the regulations, and the supporting infrastructure are ready and do not slow down the introduction of these services. This paper presents a top-down methodology to estimate the demand for UAM transportation worldwide by estimating the travelers' willingness to pay for UAM services and by estimating the potential volume of UAM traffic. The exercise is implemented as a case study for a set of 31 cities distributed all across the world in 2035.