Potential market based policy considerations for urban air mobility

Urban air mobility (UAM) is a new concept in urban transportation systems; UAM employs an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for operation in low-altitude urban areas. It complements the saturated conventional ground transportation systems in congested urban areas. The successful implementation of UAM as an urban transportation option necessitates the creation of appropriate policies and implementation strategies tailored to the UAM target market. This study aimed to provide policymakers with insights and policy implications based on a market analysis of the UAM. A stated preference survey was conducted with potential UAM users, and logit-based discrete choice models were developed. Subsequently, the models and actual traffic data were used to estimate the UAM demand in the Seoul metropolitan area in Korea, and the policy implications were derived, accounting for economic, social, and demographic factors. It was concluded that UAM policies should be tailored to the potential market for UAM, promote integrated mobility as a service, and enhance the social acceptance of UAM. Policymakers can use the results of this study to formulate necessary regulations and infrastructure for facilitating efficient and effective UAM integration.