Paving the Way for Vertiports and Innovative Air Mobility
Milestone Achieved: Successful Validation Workshop at EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub
We extend our sincere thanks to all solution leaders and validation experts for their dedication and collaboration! The EUREKA project has just concluded a highly productive validation workshop at the EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub, where we refined the scope, techniques, and reporting for all project solutions. This marks a key step forward in ensuring our innovative air traffic management solutions are impactful, practical, and ready for deployment.
Jun 19, 2025
OUR OBJECTIVES
Enable the Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) accommodation in Europe and safe and autonomous IAM operations in all types of airspace with a special focus on a key enabler for the IAM operations: Vertiports Support development of the U-space regulatory framework and necessary standards
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About Eureka Project
Arrival & Departure Procedures
The foundational aspect of Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) infrastructure involves the integration of vertiports into both urban landscapes and the airspace. These vertiports are designed to accommodate various use cases and traffic volumes, demanding adaptable ground and airspace design recommendations, processes, and procedures. For effective operation within U-space, a shared real-time operating status of vertiports among all users is crucial, affecting all phases of IAM flights. This integration necessitates the inclusion of vertiports as essential stakeholders in the U-space Concept of Operations and the U-space Regulatory Framework. The EUREKA project, as a pioneering initiative under SESAR, extends the U-space regulatory framework to encapsulate vertiport stakeholders. It focuses on developing performance-based requirements for approach, departure, and en-route procedures specifically tailored to crewed VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA), covering a spectrum from immediate segregated crewed VCA operations to long-term strategies for fully integrated (un)crewed VCA operations.
Collaborative traffic management
The Vertiport Collaborative Traffic Management system introduced by EUREKA acts as the central management system for IAM traffic at vertiports. By centralizing critical airside ground information such as availability, schedules, and capacity constraints, V-CTM contributes to creating a comprehensive operational picture. This system is pivotal for managing both the vertiport environment and extending its capabilities to address the U-space airspace’s capacity constraints through the Corridor Management service of the CIS platform. This enhancement is geared towards maintaining operational efficiency and safety, ensuring a smooth integration with the broader U-space ecosystem.
Disruption & Emergency Management
Recognizing the potential for disturbances and emergencies within the vertiport environment, EUREKA has developed strategies to address challenges such as disruptive UAS (both cooperative and non-cooperative) and crewed VCAs in a contingency flight plan (CFP) state. These strategies involve tactical changes in U-space airspace configuration to manage such disturbances effectively. The development of Letters of Agreement and Route Operating Documents is also part of this solution, facilitating future operations and ensuring a resilient response to emergencies and disruptions within the vertiport environment.
Network Flow, Capacity & Operational Management
To enhance the efficiency and operational coordination of multiple vertiports, EUREKA introduces the Vertiport Network Manager (V-NM). This role is crucial for monitoring and managing multiple vertiports across an urban network, whether located in controlled or uncontrolled airspace or co-located with airports. The V-NM ensures the seamless interaction between vertiports, contributing to the overall efficiency of the ATM processes and airport throughput, and plays a critical role in maintaining the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the IAM vertiport ecosystem in diverse airspace classes. Together, these solutions contribute to advancing the state of the art for (un)crewed VCAs and establishing vertiports as integral components of U-space and future IAM transportation networks, highlighting EUREKA’s mission towards a safe, efficient, and sustainable IAM vertiport ecosystem.
Latest News
EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub
We extend our sincere thanks to all solution leaders and validation experts for their dedication and collaboration! The EUREKA project has just concluded a highly productive validation workshop at the EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub, where we refined the scope, techniques, and reporting for all project solutions. This marks a key step forward in ensuring our innovative air traffic management solutions are impactful, practical, and ready for deployment.
EUREKA at the SESAR Annual Conference 2025: Driving the Future of ATM
EUREKA was proud to participate in the SESAR Joint Undertaking Annual Conference 2025 in Brussels, contributing to the unveiling of the new European ATM Master Plan. Our team engaged in high-level discussions around key focus areas—Arrival & Departure Procedures, Collaborative Traffic Management, Disruption & Emergency Management, and Network Flow Capacity. At the Digital Sky Marketplace Exhibition, we showcased how EUREKA’s solutions support Europe’s journey toward a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable airspace.
Successful Validation of eVTOL Operations Conducted at Indra Facilities
On January 14, EUREKA successfully carried out a key validation exercise for SESAR3’s Fast Track project at Indra’s facilities, focusing on eVTOL operations in vertiports and air corridors. This lab-based prototyping session tested interfaces between the U-space Service Provider (Unifly), the Centralised Platform, and the Vertiport Management System (Indra), covering strategic, pre-tactical, and tactical phases of flight. With active participation from Aena, ENAIRE, INECO (onsite) and Unifly (online), the validation delivered promising results—marking another important milestone in advancing safe, integrated urban air mobility.
EUREKA Presented at AIAA SciTech 2025: Integrating Vertiports into Airspace
We are proud to share that the EUREKA project was showcased at the prestigious AIAA SciTech Forum 2025 in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Bianca Isabella Schuchardt of the DLR Institute for Flight Guidance presented EUREKA’s vision for integrating vertiport operations into European airspace. Her session highlighted EUREKA’s role in shaping Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) through solutions for vertiport procedures, collaborative traffic management, disruption handling, and network flow optimization. Infrastructure, regulation, and safety remain key challenges for IAM—and EUREKA is tackling them head-on. As a SESAR Joint Undertaking Fast Track project, we are working to close the operational and regulatory gaps and build the future of urban air mobility.
EUREKA Showcased at SESAR Innovation Days 2024 in Rome
We’re excited to announce that our partner Unifly proudly represented the EUREKA SESAR3 Fast Track project at the SESAR Innovation Days 2024 in Rome, Italy. Unifly presented EUREKA’s progress across its four key solution areas, highlighting our shared commitment to enabling Innovative Air Mobility and transforming European airspace. A heartfelt thank you to Unifly for spotlighting our vision and driving forward the conversation on the future of aviation.
Expert Workshop on Vertiport Network Flow & Capacity Held at Rome Fiumicino Airport
As part of the EUREKA SESAR3 Fast Track project, we successfully hosted an Expert Judgement Workshop at Rome Fiumicino Airport, focused on Solution 4: Network Flow, Capacity, and Operational Management. A diverse panel of experts explored how vertiport networks can be effectively integrated with U-space to ensure safe and efficient operations. A key highlight was the introduction of the Vertiport Network Manager—a new stakeholder concept driving coordination across the network.
EUREKA Represented at EASA’s Innovative Air Mobility Forum in Cologne
The EUREKA SESAR3 Fast Track project is proud to be represented by the Alliance for New Mobility Europe at the EASA Innovative Air Mobility Implementation Forum, which kicked off today in Cologne. Gathering over 250 participants from across Europe—including regulators, industry leaders, and policymakers—the forum addresses key challenges and opportunities shaping the future of IAM. EUREKA contributes with forward-looking solutions for vertiport infrastructure and traffic management, reinforcing the role of U-space integration in enabling safe, sustainable air mobility.
EUREKA Highlights Societal Acceptance of IAM at Dronitaly 2024
At Dronitaly 2024, Jose Ignacio Rodriguez from Bluenest by Globalvia presented the EUREKA SESAR3 Fast Track project, spotlighting its pioneering work on vertiport deployment and the societal acceptance of Innovative Air Mobility (IAM). EUREKA is not only focused on technical innovation but also on ensuring that vertiport infrastructure is welcomed by the communities it serves. By integrating social acceptance into the core of our design and planning, we’re helping to build a sustainable, inclusive future for urban air mobility across Europe.
TRA 2024
On 18 April 2024, UrbanV and ADR together leading the Solution 4 of EUREKA SESAR3 Fast Track project, have been part of the special session on “Multimodal transport systems at Transport Research Arena (TRA 2024), held in Dublin.
Handover Project Lead - Iliyana Simeonova
On 1 February, EUREKA has gotten a new project leader: Ludovic Legros has left the project and instead, Iliyana Simeonova, job title at Eurocontrol has taken over as project leader.
CANSO Exhibition
From 19-22 February, CANSO is organizing in the European Parliament an exhibition on drones. The event is hosted by MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen and will show how drones will innovate to shape our future skies. EUREKA will be present with several work package leaders to engage with policy makers during the week.
Airspace World
From 19-21 March, EUREKA will be present at the Airspace World in Geneva. There will be a 25min presentation given by project leader Iliyana Simeonova on 19.3 at 13h at the Future Skies Theatre. And the project will be featured in the U-space Walking Tour by SESAR JU on 20.3., 14.45-15h at the Aviation4Europe stand.
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