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unconventional aircraft replacing ground transportation emis- As AAMs begin to mature within the commer-
sions with Urban Air mobility eVTOLs. This emissions-focused cial aviation industry McKinsey sees adoption
view was the number one answer of respondents from the IFS on the horizon, firstly, seeing an establish-
webinar, with attendees feeling the biggest impact of AAM is the ment of an aerospace-grade supply chain and
potential to reduce greenhouse gases. secondly, it predicts an emergence of organi-
zations focusing on operations and ongoing
Societal benefits are also clear to see. A recent report on trans- maintenance and support. In order to capture
port connectivity by the UK Government revealed that two in as much market share as possible, it’s likely
three people thought that improved transport links would have that many AAM organizations will look to be a
a positive impact on people’s ability to access job opportunities. “one-stop” shop throughout an AAVs lifecycle.
The regional and short-haul advantages of AAM could apply here
to positively impact commuting opportunities, but from a cargo Software must match the evo-
perspective it could provide better linkage to rural communities lution of AAVs throughout their
by delivering vital supplies and services to under-served areas.
lifecycle to be long-lasting
In the U.S., AAM-specific legislations gained house approval
and funding which provided a $25 million grant to support AAM For organizations and AAVs to be able to
development. Furthermore the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure move in partnership along their journey it is
Modernization Act now allows for planning and building to start crucial for software to be the central focus for
using existing airports to establish “vertiports” and associated growth to establish dominance in a maturing
charging infrastructure but crucially, the legislation aims to market.
include communities in the process bringing new technology A once in a lifetime opportunity has arisen
and new green jobs to diverse communities. in the AAM industry for businesses to gain a
This all of course comes at a cost. A recent assessment in Sydney market share with AAM organizations requir-
ing software capable of matching where the
estimated AAM ground infrastructure will cost $136 million and organization is along the different points
another $100 million in low-altitude air traffic control—but the of production or use of AAV assets. As the
estimated revenue outcome for AAM in Sydney alone is estimated industry moves beyond “start-up mode” to
at $4 billon. becoming airborne, challenges evolve around
Get ahead of the market by starting today manufacturing, operations and ongoing AAV
asset support. It’s also crucial for end-to-end
AAM is currently a very disruptive landscape full of start-ups systems to link all the data sources together
with stakeholders in the AAM ecosystem. It’s
or spin-offs and joint ventures, all racing to be first to market. all about uncrewed system design, manufac-
But AAM organizations will face the same challenges when turing, supply chain, and aftermarket services
going from that inflection point of moving from design, proof- that need a digital backbone capable of sup-
of-concept, and prototyping, to commercialization, widescale porting sustainment now and into the future.
operations, and ongoing maintenance/support. The lion’s share AAM manufacturers must position themselves
of the market will actually be grabbed by the companies that with the right strategy and software now or
can get to mass production the fastest. miss out on a rapidly growing market.
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