Smart Fly

Starting with a pilot study, phase10 Ingenieur- und Planungsgesellschaft mbH from Freiberg and TU Dresden want to investigate how air taxis can be integrated into and used economically in existing transportation systems.

The Free State of Saxony is supporting the preparation of a study with around € 280,000. The project is being financed on the basis of the Saxon state parliament's resolution on the two-year budget 2021/2022.

The Institute of Aerospace Engineering, the Institute of Logistics and Aviation as well as the Laboratory of Knowledge Architecture are involved in the study. Together with phase10, they will develop an innovative, scalable operating and infrastructure concept for the commercial use of air taxis in the "SmartFly - Concept for the intelligent integration and commercial use of air taxis in Saxony" project.

The goal is a sustainable, intermodal expansion in the model region Central Germany. The pilot study analyses the air taxis on offer for short-haul traffic in large cities or metropolitan regions with an overstretched, ground-based transportation infrastructure, regardless of the manufacturer. It should in particular find answers to questions such as how these offers can be transferred to an operating concept with medium-range transportation in a territorial state to link up rural regions and urban areas and how this can contribute to a climate-friendly, efficient, multimodal overall transportation system.

As a supplementary mobility offer, air taxis can be used in future as a further, flexible option in addition to existing offers such as car sharing, ride sharing, carpooling or other mobility services. This shift in mobility offers towards solutions with alternative and climate-friendly powertrains as well as operating concepts is also one of the goals of the Saxon state government.