Scientific assessment for urban air mobility (UAM)

This review article is the revised and expanded version of the Scientific Assessment for UAM document that the urban air mobility (UAM) working group of the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR) developed at the request of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The assessment began with a study of the industry landscape, which includes an overview of existing market studies, proposed aircraft designs and concepts, and potential paths for industry evolution. The subsequent scientific assessment, developed through cooperative efforts among international domain experts, captures 17 focus areas relevant to UAM. Each focus area presents opportunities for further research. The assessment was delivered to the ICAO in 2023. This revised and expanded version reflects the UAM domain’s status quo, incorporating the most recent developments and trends identified in 2024. Key takeaways include: the need for further study of the impact of autonomous systems on the industry; infrastructure requirements (including vertiports and weather sensing) to support the industry sector; and data requirements (covering domains such as cybersecurity, emissions, and safety) to ensure safe and scalable UAM operations.