Vertiports will now be incorporated in the scope of ACI Europe Regular Membership, which was previously reserved for airports and aerodromes.

This groundbreaking change – the first such development within the Airports Council International confederation – reflects the strategic positioning of the association and ensures its relevance in the context of the fast development of new forms of air mobility in Europe, ACI said. Extending membership rights to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure operators positions ACI Europe at the forefront of this new paradigm for aviation, which will offer new opportunities for feeding traffic between airports, cities and regions – and a highly complementary role as a hub for low-carbon traffic and mobility.

The association laid grounds for this development in July 2022, by welcoming its first dedicated vertiport operator member – Urban-Air Port. Back then the company joined as World Business Partner on the understanding that it could ultimately qualify as regular member.

The following provisions are thus added to the statutes in Article 4 – Regular Members: “Owners or operators of one or more vertiports located in the European Region and which entities are primarily and directly responsible for the management, operations and policy setting of related facilities.”

Image: Urban-Air Port