Skyports and Joby partner on ‘Living Lab’ trial vertiport facility

Next-generation aircraft developer Joby is pairing up with air taxi infrastructure company Skyports in a trial vertiport they’re calling the Living Lab, which will be used for testing the configuration and operation of future hubs.

Joby and Skyports announced their partnership Thursday, explaining the Living Lab initiative as a tool for testing the array of technologies and procedures used at vertiports, and to gauge and enhance both the efficiency of future infrastructure and passenger experience in using them. The concept should allow the pair to receive ongoing feedback from visitors to the unit, and incorporate insights from that to improve their final designs for air taxi terminals.

Read: FAA releases AAM vertiport guidelines for future air taxi operations 

Eric Allison, Joby’s head of product, said the objective of its Living Lab project with Skyports is to make sure the vertiport experience is in sync with the ways air taxis will…