Vertiport with a Buffer Zone

A method for managing traffic of electric aerial vehicles in a vertiport, each of the aerial vehicles having a plurality of propulsion units configured for propelling the aerial vehicle in self-propelled flight, the vertiport including an area for disembarkation and embarkation, a buffer zone configured to accommodate a plurality of aerial vehicles and a take-off pad, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning an electric aerial vehicle at the area for disembarkation and embarkation, and disembarking at least one arriving person;
• (b) selectively moving the aerial vehicle from the area for disembarkation and embarkation to the buffer zone or to the take-off pad, based on defined criteria;
• (c) independently of steps (a) and (b), advancing an aerial vehicle from the buffer zone to the area for disembarkation and embarkation;
• and
• (d) embarking at least one person into the aerial vehicle at the area for disembarkation and embarkation.

A vertiport for electric VTOL aerial vehicles, comprising:

• a landing pad configured to receive arriving aerial vehicles;
• a take-off pad, distinct from the landing pad, configured for departing aerial vehicles;
• a passenger terminal;
• a taxiing route for facilitating transit of the aerial vehicles along a surface of the vertiport from the landing pad to the take-off pad, the taxiing route passing through:
• a disembarkation area configured to allow at least one person to disembark from an aerial vehicle for entering the passenger terminal;
• a buffer zone for accommodating a plurality of aerial vehicles, the buffer zone including two traffic lanes;
• and
• an embarkation area, distinct from the disembarkation area, configured to allow at least one person to exit the passenger terminal and embark into an aerial vehicle;
• and
• a vertiport command system configured to determine, for each aerial vehicle in the buffer zone, the time for advancing from the buffer zone to the embarkation area for embarking at least one passenger;
• wherein at least a part of the taxiing route includes at least two traffic lanes.

A method for managing traffic of electric aerial vehicles in a vertiport, each of the aerial vehicles having a plurality of propulsion units configured for propelling the aerial vehicle in self-propelled flight, the vertiport including a disembarkation area, a buffer zone configured to accommodate a plurality of aerial vehicles, and an embarkation area distinct from the disembarkation area, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning an electric aerial vehicle at the disembarkation area and disembarking at least one arriving person;
• (b) moving the aerial vehicle from the disembarkation area to the buffer zone;
• (c) independently of steps (a) and (b), selecting an aerial vehicle from the buffer zone based on defined criteria and moving it to the embarkation area;
• and
• (d) embarking at least one person into the aerial vehicle at the embarkation area.