The UK's first vertiport testbed, which allows aircraft to take off and land vertically, is under construction at a site on the edge of Bicester.
Skyports Infrastructure, a leader in vertiport infrastructure for the advanced air mobility industry, is building its testbed at Bicester Motion.
The plans to build the new infrastructure were given the green light in August this year.
This will be built on the same 0.42-acre plot which the testbed is being built.
Daniel Geoghegan, chief executive officer of Bicester Motion, said: "It’s great to see Skyports’ vertiport being built right here in Bicester.
"Once complete, it will support vertical take-off and landing aircraft testing as part of advanced air mobility innovation.
"We’re proud to support this vertiport testbed as part of our strategic vision to integrate both traditional and vertical aviation operations from our airfield and boost pioneering future mobility discovery."
The facility is being developed under the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium and supported by Innovate UK's Future Flight Challenge.
It will play a key role in testing electric vertical take-off and landing flight operations, ground infrastructure, and air traffic management.
The vertiport, set to be completed in early 2025, will be adjacent to Bicester Motion's existing general aviation grass runways.
Once finished, an inauguration event will be held, where partners of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium will test and demonstrate key findings from the project.
This will include demonstration flights by Vertical Aerospace.
Skyports' chief executive officer, Duncan Walker, said: "With spades in ground and the site beginning to take shape, today we are one step closer to delivering our vertiport at Bicester Motion.
"Our thanks to the project and construction teams for their work so far and we look forward to opening the facility in a few months time to continue our efforts to develop and scale electric air taxi services."
Michael Cervenka, chief commercial and strategy officer at Vertical Aerospace, added: "As a proud partner of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, Vertical Aerospace is excited to see this state-of-the-art vertiport come to life.
"Facilities like this are essential for enabling the seamless integration of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft into our airspace and helping people better understand the benefits they will bring.
"We look forward to supporting this effort with demonstration flights next year and together advancing the future of aviation."
