Economic Assessment of Air Mobility On-Demand Concepts

Abstract

Air mobility on-demand concepts promise a significant leap for regional transportation as an alternative to current ground-based options in terms of travel speed. Upcoming technology readiness in the fields of flight automation and electric engines is expected to enable a sustainable service provision with an improved cost basis. Because these concepts have yet to be implemented, it is crucial to assess their suitability from an economic point of view. A methodology to assess the economic feasibility of air mobility on-demand concepts is developed based on a willingness-to-pay approach of contemporary transportation options in Germany. The proposed air mobility on-demand concepts achieve door-to-door travel speeds of , resulting in a willingness-to-pay value of (monetary value in 2015) forecasted to 2030. With the potential for battery energy densities of in 2030, design ranges of 500–600 km, including a 45 min holding reserve, are possible. All-electric aircraft show the most promising results, leading to passenger-specific door-to-door costs of 20–35% below the estimated willingness-to-pay values.