Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is one part of the aerospace industry where there's been particularly intense activity in recent years. According to a July 2022 report by the McKinsey consultancy, more than $15bn has flowed into the segment. A flurry of new names - Archer, Joby, Lilium, Wisk, Vertical Aerospace and Volocopter - as well as heavyweights Airbus, Boeing and Embraer are involved. Airlines, including AirAsia, American, Delta and Virgin Atlantic, have signed orders or agreements for hundreds of aircraft. Broadly speaking, AAM is about a new generation of often quirky-looking fixed-wing and electric vertical take-off systems- often dubbed 'air taxis' - designed to fly passengers on intra- and inter-city hops.Away from eye-catching announcements about funding or new systems, a lot of work is required to integrate these new forms of air mobility into air transport- creating a requirement for specialist organisations such as Skyports, a UK company that develops and operates infrastructure for this emerging segment.
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