- By Kamal Kumar
- Sun, 08 Sep 2024 12:02 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Vertiports Rules: Big Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai might see the operation of air taxis soon as the civil aviation regulator DGCA prepares the groundwork for their operations - which might be seen as soon as 2026. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday issued the rules for establishing 'vertiports' - the airports specially designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft.
In a bid to provide “advanced air mobility” (AAM) in India, the IndiGo parent InterGlobe Enterprises (IGE) is looking to launch a VTOL aircraft in the country in around 2026. The first such aircraft would be 'Midnight' - a VTOL air taxi by Archer Aviation, a California-based electric air taxi-maker. Indigo has reportedly signed a deal of 200 Midnights with an investment of a whopping USD 1 Billion.
Vertiport Rules Specify Infra, Operational Guides
DGCA said that it issued the vertiport framework after holding extensive consultation with all the stakeholders which enabled a circular having comprehensive guidelines covering various critical aspects of vertical airports.
(Midnight, an all-electric aircraft from company Archer Aviation, is seen at the Salinas Municipal Airport in Salinas/ Reuters)
The guidelines covered many critical areas of the establishment of vertiports such as basic requirements of infrastructure, physical attributes, air taxi operational guidelines, standards for visual aids to assist in landing, battery charging, and planning for emergency response.
“Under this circular site clearance and authorisation post-construction of the vertiport will be granted,” the regulator said.
Passengers would be able to use these novel airports in boarding and alighting air taxis. The charging and parking facilities will also be provided at these eVTOLs.
Which Cities Will Get First Air Taxis
According to a report by Times of India, Delhi is expected to become the first city to get VTOL air taxi services. Mumbai and Bengaluru might also see the operations in the same year 2026, whereas Hyderabad and Chennai can also witness relief from traffic after the initial operations.