Australian-first Electric Air Taxi Hub Planned in Brisbane for 2032 Olympics

Melbourne start-up Skyportz has launched plans for an Australian-first electric air taxi hub to service the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

The announcement was made at the Air Taxi World Congress in London where Skyportz CEO, Clem Newton-Brown said that the first Australian Skyportz infrastructure for air taxis will be built at the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Australia in 2023.

“Skyportz has been accumulating sites in Australia since 2018 and we now have over 400 property partners ready to build out a Skyportz network”’ Mr Newton-Brown said.

“There is strong political support to develop a new era in clean, green electric aviation in Australia, however we are waiting on Federal standards and new State regulations to be developed before we can proceed to building a network. For this reason we are focusing initially on existing aviation infrastructure and places where it is possible to get a permit for a helipad which can transition into a future Skyportz. The AACME site was already proposing a helipad so this partnership has enabled us to bring forward our plans”, Mr Newton-Brown said.

Skyportz is simultaneously working with Australian Federal and State governments to help develop the standards, regulations and zones which will enable the Skyportz “mini airports” in new locations in and around cities and regional centres.

The Skyportz brand is protected in all emerging markets globally.

Skyportz is delivering the first electric air taxi hub in Australia and it will be the start of a network to service the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032 — Clem Newton-Brown

There are over 300 electric air taxis start ups around the world and the industry has seen over $8 billion invested in the aircraft with three of the frontrunners, Lilium, Joby and Archer listing on the New York Stock exchange last month.

“Without a Skyportz landing site network these aircraft are not going to be able to realise their full potential”, Mr Newton-Brown said. Our networks around the world will be available for all air taxi entrants but our first partner is the very exciting Electra Aero aircraft from USA.

The Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (AAMCE) will establish a world first, master-planned facility just north of Brisbane’s CBD, focused on the fully integrated commercialisation of Intellectual Property (IP) developed in Australia, and manufactured in Australia for global export. The AAMCE proposes to rapidly establish sovereign capabilities across the country’s most critical sectors such as Defence, Space and Medical.

“We are particularly excited to be designing the first Australian Skyportz here in Brisbane as part of the AAMCE. To us it makes perfect sense that the most advanced manufacturing centre in Australia should include the most advanced transport system possible in its design. Brisbane is busily preparing for the Olympic Games in 2032 which will provide a great opportunity for the city to embrace a new form of transportation and showcase it to the world”, said Ty Hermans, Director of AAMCE.

“The AAMCE site is perfectly suited to become a major transport hub and support the future of air mobility. We are in the heart of the Moreton Bay region, just metres from a major metro linked train station, a leading Australian University, and the most advanced manufacturing and commercialisation centre in the country that is attracting some of the worlds greatest companies…This will put Australia on the map and we are very proud to be a partner of Skyportz in establishing this capability”, Mr Hermans said.

“We expect that by 2032 we should have a well established electric air taxi service in Brisbane if we get the support of all levels of Government”.

The Australian Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (AAMCE) will establish a world first, master-planned facility focused on the fully integrated commercialisation of Intellectual Property (IP) developed in Australia, manufactured in Australia for global export.

The AAMCE will rapidly establish sovereign capabilities across our most critical sectors.

The AAMCE uniquely boasts a deep integration of education and learning for students and industry alike, in a live and fully operational advanced manufacturing facility producing tangible and highly valuable outputs. The AAMCE will deliver a significantly positive economic, environmental and social impact to the Moreton Bay region, Queensland and Australia.

AAMCE will establish this bold and highly desirable ecosystem that will deliver significant value and scale to the entire Australian manufacturing sector via collaborative partnerships with:

The partners will invest over $175 million (AUD) over the next three years to establish an ecosystem unique in its advanced manufacturing and commercialisation capability. Opening late in 2023 with more than 15 partner organisations, AAMCE will deploy world-class advanced manufacturing technologies and an Australian first ecosystem that supports the 6-key pillars of the Federal Government’s 10-year Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) road map and establishes vital sovereign capabilities in Australia for the future.

About Skyportz

Skyportz was established in 2018 to lay the infrastructure groundwork for an air taxi ecosystem, which involves regulatory and planning scheme changes before moving on to building the network with property and logistics partners. The Skyportz brand is protected in all emerging markets (Europe, Asia and Americas) and partnerships in these markets are being pursued. However, the initial focus is on Australia, working with a team of specialist consultants to facilitate the biggest shake up in transport since the uptake of the motor vehicle.

Skyportz is developing a comprehensive infrastructure network in Australia to attract and support future urban and regional air mobility services. Skyportz has signed its first aircraft partner in Electra. Aero that includes a Purchase Agreement for up to 100 Electra eSTOL aircraft, enabling Skyportz and its operating partners to directly connect city centres or dispersed logistics facilities, and deliver cargo to remote regions.

The companies are exploring opportunities in Australia for early trials leveraging Electra’s full- scale technology demonstrator, which enters flight testing in the US in 2022.

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