The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has entered into a Space Act agreement with the federal space agency, NASA to collaborate on planning for the future of urban air mobility.
PANYNJ was chosen for this project due its operational knowledge of the airspace around its three major airports: John F. Kennedy (JFK), Newark Liberty (EWR) and LaGuardia (LGA).
NASA is currently researching how urban air mobility vehicles such as drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could operate safely in urban environments.
PANYNJ, which is interested in exploring the evolution of flight technology to better serve its airport customers, will liaise with airlines and other interested parties to advance this project.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said:For more than a century, the Port Authority has been a leader in applying new ideas in order to make better and more efficient use of resources, brainpower and infrastructure. From the historic engineering feats of our bridges and tunnels, to the birth of containerization and the shipping industry that now powers the global economy, to the outsized role our airports have played in shaping international air travel, the Port Authority knows what it means to be forward-looking.
We are excited to work with NASA to help push the Urban Air Mobility industry forward.
The 5-year Space Act agreement will include the development of new procedures and simulations. Among other applications, it will focus on the potential of eVTOL aircraft to provide electric flights of under 200 miles for passengers travelling to and from airports.
