VR simulation of a vertiport for advanced air mobility: a sustainability-oriented case study

Advanced Air Mobility requires new infrastructure, such as vertiports, whose integration into urban environments involves safety, regulatory, sustainability, and public acceptance challenges. This thesis investigates how Virtual Reality can support the early planning and assessment of a conceptual rooftop vertiport. A virtual simulation was developed to represent an eVTOL journey from a rooftop vertiport to a nearby airport, including the surrounding urban environment and different viewpoints. The study also considered European regulatory guidance, sustainability aspects, and urban integration. A preliminary questionnaire-based expert evaluation suggested that VR can support visualization, communication, and stakeholder understanding in early-stage vertiport planning.