Urban air mobility for airport access: Mode choice preferences and pricing considerations

The increasing use of commercial aviation in the last decades has urged us to reconsider landside airport accessibility to meet the evolving demand. At the same time, the third (vertical) dimension in urban and suburban areas – i.e. the lower airspace up to 500 m above the ground – has yet to be substantially exploited for transportation. Soon, technological advances in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could enable the commercial use of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) for airport access. Through a case study in Bavaria, Germany, and Austria, this research aims to investigate the potential users’ willingness to pay for a novel UAM AirShuttle service, which could connect the airport of Munich with important points in its catchment area, and to analyse their transportation mode choices when accessing the airport. A stated preference mode choice survey was disseminated through an online panel during March 2023 in the catchment area of the airport to assess the current travel behaviour of the population, including the ownership of mobility instruments, the current state of airport accessibility and the satisfaction of the respondents (N=218) with the currently available modes. Furthermore, the survey investigated directly how much the respondents were willing to pay to use the AirShuttle and their sociodemographic background. The results were evaluated using descriptive statistical analyses and discrete choice modelling. The findings reveal that most respondents were satisfied with the current access modes and found their pricing reasonable. On the other hand, their willingness to pay for UAM services was lower than expected. This study yields important implications for the industrial stakeholders of UAM and for policymakers; by analysing the results, it was concluded that the expectations of the industry and potential customers regarding UAM pricing in the short term could be different and that its benefits and implications for society should be carefully weighed by policymakers.