Selection of appropriate eVTOLs as a tool to revive ultra-short haul routes in Europe

Abstract

The recent ban on ultra-short haul flights and their replacement by rail transport have been adopted in several European Union countries to reduce aviation's environmental footprint. However, the upcoming introduction of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles offers a potential way to reclaim these routes, heralding a paradigm shift in personal mobility. Airlines, though, face challenges in aircraft selection since eVTOLs differ significantly from the banned aircraft, primarily in terms of size and payload capacity. Therefore, in order to recover the previous traffic demand , the main objective of this study is to select the most convenient electrically powered aircraft for 2 out of the 5 currently banned routes, using a decision-making tool through an Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) which allows multi-criteria problems to be addressed. For this purpose, both the potential eVTOL candidates, which are capable of operating these air routes, and the criteria to be taken into account in the aircraft selection process will be defined. Finally, the feasibility of implementing eVTOL aircraft in the short term is discussed.