PETALING JAYA: Skyports Infrastructure and AirAsia’s Advanced Air Mobility has partnered to explore the development of air taxi infrastructure in Malaysia.
The one-year partnership will focus on joint feasibility studies for the integration of air taxi vertiport infrastructure, the identification of potential vertiport sites, and the development of operational requirements and frameworks to implement a vertiport network in Malaysia. Initial assessments will prioritise Kuala Lumpur.
AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd chief safety officer and head of advanced air mobility Captain Ling Liong Tien said following the announcement of the group’s venture into the urban air taxi service earlier this year, it has been working to explore its feasibility in Malaysia.
“This partnership with Skyports will accelerate the review of the infrastructure including vertical take-off and landing platforms in the country as well as strengthen our potential as a zero-emissions ultra-short-haul air travel provider in Southeast Asia,” he added.
Skyports head of Asia-Pacific Yun-Yuan Tay said the partnership highlights the progress of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) development and interest in Malaysia and the wider Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Skyports Infrastructure has global portfolio of designing and building take-off and landing infrastructure for eVTOL passenger aircraft. It has a portfolio of projects across major cities, including Paris, London and Los Angeles. Within the APAC region, the company has partnerships to assess and develop AAM infrastructure in Singapore and Japan.
AirAsia is involved in the operationalisation of AAM in Malaysia. In the past year, the company announced future plans to lease 100 vertical aerospace VX4 eVTOL aircraft from Avolon, launched its drone training programme, and most recently, extended drone-related training to the high-technology related sectors.
