Besides the Butler County Regional Airport, Miami University Airport, and Middletown Regional Airport/Hook Field, the initiative also includes Cincinnati Municipal Airport/Lunken Field and Clermont County Airport. The OKI executive committee agreed earlier this month to hire a firm to work with the five general aviation airports that would develop the AAM infrastructure as new types of electric aircraft are being created to transport everything from cargo to passengers.
“OKI will manage the selected firm to ensure each airport receives the AAM infrastructure plan they need to serve as a customized blueprint for upgrading their utilities to support electric vehicles and electric aircraft,” said Robyn Bancroft, OKI’s strategic initiatives manager. “With a plan in place, the airports can implement infrastructure improvements. This preparation will help Ohio lead in the innovative transportation sector.”
She said a lot of progress is being made in AAM, and this year is to be “a very exciting one.” One example of the new type of aircraft being developed is eVOTLs, or electric Vertical Take-off and Landing vehicles, which can take off, hover, and land vertically using electric power.
“The FAA is expected to issue long-awaited AAM-related certifications that provide private companies the ‘green light’ they require to scale up to production of eVTOLs and make an impact on what we will see flying in the next few years,” Bancroft said.
AAM would allow the five public airports to be positioned for economic development growth opportunities, she said. In researching the initiative, Bancroft could not find any similar projects leading her to believe this project is not only a first for OKI, but “perhaps a first for the nation” where a Metropolitan Planning Organization or public entity would “undertake such a forward-thinking initiative.”
OKI CEO Mark Policinski called AAM “now generation” technology and with it comes “fascinating possibilities” as could increase commerce and mobility capabilities, from the passenger transportation to the rapid transmission of medical supplies or time-sensitive package deliveries.
“AAM technology is developing rapidly, and we must be ready to implement its every-day usage,” he said. “OKI will help prepare for a future where AAM will improve the urban, suburban and rural parts of our region.”
With truck traffic predicted to increase 46% by 2050, Bancroft said AAM is also a solution to that spiking vehicular volume.
“With a mission to increase safety, reduce congestion, improve air quality through decreased fuel consumption and emissions, minimize wear and tear on our roads, and support economic competitiveness, OKI sees AAM as a tool to help address these goals,” she said.
Duke Energy is a project partner with OKI and it, along with a committee of representatives from the five airports, will review qualified candidates and select the firm to complete the AAM electrical infrastructure plans.
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