Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) has the potential to revolutionise last-mile transportation. To pave the way and accelerate market uptake, the project will validate complex IAM operations (piloted air taxi and unmanned cargo) in real-life air traffic control conditions, including contingency and non-nominal situations. It will specifically address air/ground integration and the critical transition from piloted towards automated flights, making use of several key autonomy-enabling technologies. In addition, it will ensure environmental sustainability compared to the next-best transport alternative, and enhance it, by optimising flight routing for minimum noise footprint and aircraft energy utilisation.

The OperA (Operate Anywhere) project will enable safe and efficient operations in all types of airspace (controlled, uncontrolled and U-space) and conditions by validating 3 different complex IAM - piloted air taxi and unmanned cargo - operations in real-life ATM conditions including contingency and non-nominal situations. It will stimulate the uptake of new sustainable Innovative Air Mobility services by addressing Air/Ground integration and the critical transition steps from piloted towards automated flights for 5 key autonomy-enabling technologies at TRL7 (Technology readiness levels). In addition, it will ensure environmental sustainability compared to the next best transport alternative, and enhance it, by optimising flight routing for minimum noise footprint and aircraft energy utilisation.

Ultimately, it will seek to accelerate the deployment of IAM by addressing necessary standardisation, regulation and roadmaps, in synchronisation with the ongoing certification of the three participating European IAM vehicles and ensure social acceptance by targeted communication and dissemination activities. All of this will be done through three distinct and well selected demonstration activities involving Europe’s most promising IAM OEMs (Original equipment manufacturer).