They resemble giant dragonflies, lift straight off the ground, fly 200 mph — and may soon be a common sight over Naples, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and other Southwest Florida cities.
The electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, manufactured by competing companies, are powered by lithium batteries or hybrid fuels. As strange as they may look, the aircraft — with wing spans of 40 feet and longer — are designed to be the workhorses of Florida’s emerging Advanced Air Mobility infrastructure.
The AAM system now under active planning in Florida consists of regional airports within the range of the aircraft, which Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue said will ferry passengers and goods throughout the state. Not looking forward to that 90-minute drive to Miami International Airport? An eVTOL air taxi can fly you and three other passengers from Naples Airport to Miami or other destinations not easily served by surface transportation or existing aviation modes. The aircraft could also deliver medical supplies or other light freight to storm-damaged areas.
The Florida Department of Transportation in recent years performed several tabletop exercises with Florida airports on designing “vertiports” — eVTOL landing areas and facilities — which would require recharging stations, hangars or tie down areas and other features. Southwest Florida airports are also getting in line with the vertiport idea.
Naples Airport
The Naples Airport Authority is taking a serious look at whether Naples Airport on Aviation Drive will accommodate the futuristic aircraft. The FDOT, in fact, included Naples Airport in a vertiport compatibility study.
Among the considerations for siting a vertiport at APF:
In addition to traditional considerations such as tall buildings, a vertiport at Naples Airport will require additional coordination with instrument approach procedures, the FDOT found. The airport will also have to design final approach and takeoff areas that include traditional runways and a landing area for the electric aircraft. Not only that, but airport firefighters must be trained and equipped to handle the dangers associated with electric propulsion: Battery or electrical fires, toxic gas emissions and high voltage electrical arcing all present unique issues for firefighters when it comes to electric aircraft.
Not all potential vertiport sites have the necessary infrastructure in place to meet the voltage and charging rate demands of eVTOL aircraft; that’s why the Naples Airport Authority hired a company to look into what it would take to host the battery-powered aircraft, which need recharging every 200 miles or so.
“The NAA has engaged a consulting firm to develop a somewhat ‘mini’ airport electrification master plan, which includes a section on potential charging needs for electric aircraft/AAM,” said Robin King, NAA director of communications for the aviation authority.
According to the FDOT, typical airport electrical infrastructure requirements for charging three aircraft include a concrete pad 500 feet by 170 feet for the electrical components and a minimum of three 600 kilowatt chargers. There are drawbacks with chargers at Naples Airport: High humidity and salinity of some cities can reduce the lifespan of charging stations and their accessories, the FDOT said.
Lee County Port Authority
“The Lee County Port Authority has been in informal talks with several eVTOL entities since 2019 about the potential of operating at either Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) or Page Field (FMY),” said Victoria Moreland, director of communications for the port authority.
Those entities include Lilium GmbH, which produces the Phoenix, a five-seater jet prototype with 36 electrically powered jacketed propellers mounted in movable flaps that can point down for vertical takeoff and gradually moved to a horizontal position to provide forward thrust. The company, which was founded in 2015, has more than 1,000 employees and partners with Honeywell, NetJets, GlobeAir and other AAM providers. The aircraft is not just a pipe dream; it is being engineered and is on track for certification, the company said.
Lee County has also been in informal talks with Skyports, a company that builds and operates vertiports around the world. On Nov. 12, Skyports launched construction on the world’s first permanent, commercial vertiport near Dubai International Airport; the first of four vertiports planned across that city. Dubai is partnering with Joby Aviation, whose electric aircraft has flown 30,000 miles and which has completed three of five aircraft certification stages with the FAA. Toyota has invested $500 million toward commercial production of the Joby air taxi.
The county thinks it may have a site for landing the electric planes near Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
“To plan for the future, the LCPA board has identified an eVTOL site within the Skyplex, a land development area at RSW, for potential future use,” Moreland said.
The Lee County Port Authority is seriously weighing all aspects of operating a vertiport or hiring a company to do so.
“Pending issues are Federal Aviation Administration certifications, site needs vs. constraints (particularly at FMY) and returns on investments for both the eVTOL company and us,” Moreland said. “As the eVTOL aircraft and regulations surrounding eVTOL operations move forward, the port authority will be working with regulatory agencies and interested firms.”
Don’t count out Punta Gorda Airport
Charlotte County will include a vertiport in its master plan revision, said Kaley Miller, director of marketing and communications for Punta Gorda Airport.
“We are supportive of Florida DOT’s plans to adopt plans for advanced air mobility facilities at Florida’s regional airports,” she said. “While we don’t have concrete plans yet, we are definitely keeping our eye on this emerging sector.”
That includes planning for its inclusion in the airport’s land and infrastructure, she said.
“We are prepared to support its integration and are planning to update our Master Plan soon, and that will be the best time to look at potential sites for AAM infrastructure.”
According to Miller, the Master Plan Update, which will likely take place in 2026, will ask the following questions:
What existing facilities and land areas already support this technology?
What infrastructure development for charging and/or vertiports would need to be developed?
What coordination with FPL would be required to satisfy electrification and grid capacity?
How would operations be safely and efficiently integrated into the National Airspace System?
Advanced Air Mobility may still be in its infancy stages, but there’s real investment. United Airlines in June ordered $1 billion worth of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft, which it said it will use for air taxi service. United could run such air taxis between Sebring and Tampa, Miami and other larger airports. If a Sebring resident books a flight on United Airlines from Orlando Airport to Chicago, the cost of the air taxi from Sebring to Orlando could be added to the ticket price.
Duke Energy and Florida Power and Light are also performing R&D for the new aviation sector. Duke Energy is collaborating with AeroX, a nonprofit that works to commercialize AAM in North Carolina and focuses on using drones for power line inspections. In September 2023, Duke Field in Florida broke ground on the first Level 3 electric aircraft charging station on a military installation.
Moreland said any further conversation about a vertiport is premature until the FAA certifies the various iterations of eVTOL aircraft and charging infrastructure is adopted at other airports. In other words, there must be widespread adoption of the technology at other airports for it to work.
King agreed: “We haven’t advanced any further plans because currently there is not a private sector demand.”
This story was published in The Naples Press on Dec. 6.