Airnova's Vertiport network aims to link the main cities of France

BY BEN RIBEIRO | DECEMBER 10, 2022

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Airnova, a vertiport company based in Bordeaux, France, has launched a €3 million ($3.2 million) fundraising campaign to develop what could be the first vertiport network connecting all major cities in France. The company's founder has already invested €500,000 ($527,000) in the project and is currently discussing additional fundraising with angel investors and investment firms.

The company aims to build 15 to 20 new vertiports per year starting in 2023.

"In 2020, Airnova [created] a unique [vertiport] design which was then approved for the French territory in April 2022 by INPI, the French institute for intellectual property rights," said Laurent Mathiolon, CEO and founder of Airnova. "An extension to the rest of Europe is currently under approval."

With a background in civil engineering, Mathiolon has been managing construction, real estate and land development projects for over 35 years through his other company Aqprim.

Airnova's vertiports are designed for multi-modal operations, including cargo and last-mile delivery, passenger transport and civil security operations, such as firefighting and air ambulance.

Airnova said each of its urban vertiports will have two landing pads and two parking stations for logistics operations and rapid battery charging, occupying a footprint of about 1,000 square meters (10,700 square feet).

The vertiports will be designed to provide eVTOL aircraft with access to a variety of power sources, such as electric charging stations or future hydrogen charging stations when the technology becomes available. Backup batteries can also be installed near the parking lots.

Mathiolon said the landing surfaces are designed to accommodate aircraft up to eight tons, and a slight elevation is intended to improve eVTOL landing performance by reducing venturi and ground effects. This configuration will also allow easier access to the underside of the eVTOLs for logistics and battery maintenance operations, he said. In developing its vertiport design, Airnova consulted with eVTOL companies such as Volocopter and Airbus, as well as several helicopter operating companies.

Using robots and AI

Once the cargo plane has landed, its goods can be extracted using a robotic arm. An elevator will then take the cargo to a logistics room where a series of robotic arms and conveyor belts will ship it to the various city carriers.

There will also be a system of connected lockers at the bottom of the building to collect small packages. The company plans to partner with carriers that will provide last-mile delivery service using only electric and zero-emission means, such as cars, trucks or electric bikes.

A small control tower staffed by trained personnel will be installed at each Airnova summit, and a series of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted cameras will help the drone sky controllers monitor the landing and takeoff of each aircraft.

Airnova is currently developing eVTOL passenger screening solutions in partnership with French company Dassault Systèmes. The vertiport will also use automation to manage passenger boarding, including validating the ticket and identity of passengers and giving them access to the boarding area. Each step will be validated remotely by a supervisor.

Advanced technologies, including facial recognition, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), 3D screening and AI, will be used to ensure safety, Mathiolon said.

Vertiport Designs

Airnova will offer three main types of vertiport designs. This includes converting existing hospital rooftop heliports by adding battery charging stations and robotic arms to support medical logistics operations.

Airnova also plans to build vertiginous ground infrastructure called VertiStations, ideally outside the city and close to logistics centers. These VertiStations are intended to perform eVTOL operations in regional or rural areas. Finally, Airnova plans to build urban vertiports on the roofs of elevated buildings, offering direct access to the city center.

Mathiolon estimated that these vertiports cost US$500,000 for a country VertiStation, and up to US$3 million for an urban vertiport installed on the roof of an elevated building.

Once administrative approval is granted, Mathiolon said it would take 12 to 24 months to build a vertiport, and six to eight months to convert an existing heliport to accommodate eVTOLs.

First network locations

Airnova plans to build summits as early as 2023, initially targeting France's largest cities, such as Bordeaux, Nantes and Toulouse.

In and around Paris, the company will consider hospitals, train stations, logistics centers, major tourist sites and business centers as potential vertigine sites.

Airnova intends to build its vertiports approximately 10 to 15 kilometers (six to nine miles) apart in densely populated areas, and 30 to 300 km (19 to 186 mi) in its regional configuration.

Mathiolon said a one-way trip from Bordeaux to Toulouse, which might take about two hours by train or three hours by car at peak times, would now be completed in less than an hour by eVTOL.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Airnova has been asked by a mayor and several local authorities in the Paris region to develop eVTOL vertiports for the 2024 Olympic Games.

"The public will be strongly attracted to eVTOLs once they witness the first flights operated during the 2024 Paris Olympics. We can expect a huge increase in demand for vertiport and eVTOL aircraft," Mathiolon said.