Singapore’s old airport seeks to become regional hub for flying taxis
Singapore’s old Seletar Airport in the northeast of the city-state is planning to become a hub for flying taxis in the region as early as in 2024.
The airport, built in 1928 as a military airbase by the British and handed over to Singapore in 1971, served as an international airport until the opening of Changi Airport in 1981 and has been since used for private and business jets and some regional commercial flights.
“The future of urban air mobility is exciting and presents far-reaching possibilities for Seletar Aerospace Park,” said Lim Ai Ting, director of aerospace and marine cluster at Singapore’s real estate developer Jurong Town Corporation, which developed Seletar Aerospace Park surrounding the airport.
“We are currently in discussions with various parties on new partnerships. This will add to the park’s vibrancy and also benefit the aerospace industry ecosystem,” he added.
Strong industry interest
So-called “electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles” have met strong industry interest lately, and Singapore could be a crucial regional link in the category.
The city-state has already made agreements with startup companies Skyports and Volocopter, which are looking to convert the airfield into a “vertiport” for future operations.
This year’s Singapore Airshow further generated significant buzz on the prospects of flying taxis, with Malaysia’s AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes placing an order to rent at least 100 of them from UK manufacturer Vertical Aerospace.
Asia-Pacific seen as core market for air taxis
With about 82,500 passenger electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles expected to be operational in the Asia-Pacific by 2050, the region will account for around half the global market, according to a study by UK aerospace company Rolls-Royce Holdings and consultancy Roland Berger released earlier this year.
The flying devices could be used as airport shuttles, for tourist flights or inter-city travel and also for logistics purposes, flying as far as 250 kilometers on a single charge, according to the study.
Deployment in Singapore still depends on regulatory approvals of the aircraft type, which industry stakeholders believe could take some time to get. Regulators will have to determine whether such air taxis are safe to operate and study their potential impact on the overall aviation ecosystem.
Singapore’s old Seletar Airport in the northeast of the city-state is planning to become a hub for flying taxis in the region as early as in 2024. The airport, built in 1928 as a military airbase by the British and handed over to Singapore in 1971, served as an international airport until the opening of Changi Airport in 1981 and has been since used for private and business jets and some regional commercial flights. “The future of urban air mobility is exciting and presents far-reaching possibilities for Seletar Aerospace Park,” said Lim Ai Ting, director of aerospace and marine cluster...
Singapore’s old Seletar Airport in the northeast of the city-state is planning to become a hub for flying taxis in the region as early as in 2024.
The airport, built in 1928 as a military airbase by the British and handed over to Singapore in 1971, served as an international airport until the opening of Changi Airport in 1981 and has been since used for private and business jets and some regional commercial flights.
“The future of urban air mobility is exciting and presents far-reaching possibilities for Seletar Aerospace Park,” said Lim Ai Ting, director of aerospace and marine cluster at Singapore’s real estate developer Jurong Town Corporation, which developed Seletar Aerospace Park surrounding the airport.
“We are currently in discussions with various parties on new partnerships. This will add to the park’s vibrancy and also benefit the aerospace industry ecosystem,” he added.
Strong industry interest
So-called “electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles” have met strong industry interest lately, and Singapore could be a crucial regional link in the category.
The city-state has already made agreements with startup companies Skyports and Volocopter, which are looking to convert the airfield into a “vertiport” for future operations.
This year’s Singapore Airshow further generated significant buzz on the prospects of flying taxis, with Malaysia’s AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes placing an order to rent at least 100 of them from UK manufacturer Vertical Aerospace.
Asia-Pacific seen as core market for air taxis
With about 82,500 passenger electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles expected to be operational in the Asia-Pacific by 2050, the region will account for around half the global market, according to a study by UK aerospace company Rolls-Royce Holdings and consultancy Roland Berger released earlier this year.
The flying devices could be used as airport shuttles, for tourist flights or inter-city travel and also for logistics purposes, flying as far as 250 kilometers on a single charge, according to the study.
Deployment in Singapore still depends on regulatory approvals of the aircraft type, which industry stakeholders believe could take some time to get. Regulators will have to determine whether such air taxis are safe to operate and study their potential impact on the overall aviation ecosystem.
