What Can UAM Operators Do to Ensure They Gain Passengers’ Acceptance of Air Taxis?

A study conducted by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) reveals what is and isn’t important to gain passengers’ acceptance of urban air mobility (UAM) air taxi services. While the flights were simulated, the sentiments expressed were real.

The researchers set up a mixed reality (MR) Air Taxi Simulator merging a real-world environment with a computer-generated one. They recruited 30 participants for the study simulating an inner-city business shuttle flight. Participants were subjected to two simulations, one nominal and one non-nominal.

For nominal — routine — autonomous flights, the presence of a crew member on board seemed to be of little to no concern to the passengers. But, when the flight was not routine, such as in the simulation when the flight was diverted due to landing site unavailability, passengers wanted to be made aware of the vehicle’s intentions. In those situations, passengers, since they had no control over their aircraft’s movements, experienced higher feelings of wellbeing as long as they were kept informed of their situation.

If an air taxi must deviate from its planned route, interaction with crew members can mitigate the stress and negative emotions that passengers experience in these situations. Whether with crew members on board the aircraft or through communication with operators on the ground, passengers reported greater feelings of wellbeing and less stress and anxiety when they were informed about any changes in the flight plan.

UAM is, in a manner of speaking, a brave new world in aviation. There’s much to be learned, not just about all the technological innovations and developments but, equally important, about those at the center of it all — the paying passengers.

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Keywords: AAM Today, AAM, UAM, German Aerospace Center, DLR