UK Approves First Permanent Vertiport in Bicester

Bicester Motion and Skyports Infrastructure are set to build the UK's first permanent vertiport testbed for electric air taxis, following planning approval from Cherwell District Council. Located on a 444-acre site in Bicester, Oxfordshire, the vertiport will feature a compact 160-square-meter passenger terminal and serve as a hub for testing advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies. The facility will support the Vertical Aerospace VX4, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft capable of carrying four passengers over a range of up to 100 miles. This initiative aims to advance the future of sustainable, low-noise aviation and will begin construction in the autumn. Skyports' leadership emphasized that the tests conducted at this facility will be crucial for the development of electric aviation in the UK, marking a significant moment in the transition towards innovative air travel.