Airbus also gets into city transport

Airbus is developing transport solutions not only in the air but also on the ground. Building on Voom’s custom helicopter service and working with German carmaker Audi, the aircraft manufacturer will test its new transport service this summer, which will transport passengers door-to-door, the manufacturer said.

As part of the partnership, Audi will provide premium ground transportation, while Airbus will provide air transportation with the Voom helicopter service, allowing passengers to reach their destination in exceptional comfort without waiting for a transfer.

Travelers will be the first to enjoy premium service in Sao Paulo and Mexico City.

“The partnership with Audi is important because it meets both the needs of the present and the challenges of the future in urban transport. This is the first milestone project in our collaboration, but we plan to offer more combined transport services to the world’s busiest cities in the future, ”said Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus.

“The world is rapidly urbanizing, which is why land transport alone cannot meet the expectations of the future. Due to frequent congestion, urban transport systems are already at the limit of their performance, which costs both passengers and municipalities a great deal of money and time. By including the sky as a third medium in urban transport, we will revolutionize our entire way of life – and Airbus will be happy to take part in shaping and building the air transport of the future.”

Airbus is already past the first successful tests of its helicopter transport provider, Voom, in Sao Paulo.

Voom aims to make helicopter travel accessible and affordable, thus alleviating congestion in urban public transport. Since March 2018, the service has been available in Mexico City.

In addition, Airbus and Italdesign, in collaboration with Pop Up, have developed a fully automatic, electrically powered, modular system that includes a cabin that can be connected to either a ground or air module.

Other teams are working on developing entirely new vehicles at the company, such as CityAirbus, which will be commissioned later this year. It will be an electric powered aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and will be capable of carrying up to four passengers.

Vahana has a similar transportation system, but carries not only passengers but also goods. It had already made its first flight in January 2018. In addition, in Singapore, Airbus is involved in the country’s National University’s Skyways project, where an airmail service using self-propelled drones is being tested.