Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• UAM demands robust VTOL infrastructure to safely and efficiently support high-frequency, high-density operations of diverse UAV and eVTOL aircraft types. • The review systematically covers ground-side, airspace-side, and CNSI technologies, offering a comprehensive framework for VTOL infrastructure development. • Construction, management, and operation standards for low-altitude VTOL infrastructure remain nascent and not harmonized across government, industry, and academia. • A public multi-operator VTOL site concept is proposed to accommodate future dense UAM traffic and support the sustainable growth of the low-altitude economy.
Abstract
As the frontier of multidimensional transportation systems, urban air mobility (UAM) is receiving increasing attention from international organizations, governments, and stakeholders in industry and academia owing to its high efficiency, low carbon footprint, and operational flexibility. Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) infrastructure is the core facility that enables UAM and is therefore essential for its safe, efficient, and large-scale commercial implementation. However, the key technologies for establishing low-altitude VTOL infrastructure are still nascent, and government, industry, and academia have yet to harmonize the corresponding construction, management, and operation standards. To address this gap, we herein systematically review the related progress and trends, comprehensively surveying the key technologies of establishing VTOL infrastructure serving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and electric VTOL aircraft from three complementary perspectives of ground-side, airspace-side, and communication, navigation, surveillance, and information services. In the light of future UAM operations characterized by diverse vehicle types and dense air traffic, we propose a conceptual design for a public multi-operator VTOL site to provide constructive insights into the sustainable growth of the low-altitude economy.
1. Introduction
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) defines urban air mobility (UAM) as the safe and efficient operation of piloted or unpiloted aircraft within metropolitan areas (Thipphavong et al., 2018). At its core, UAM seeks to realize multidimensional utilization of low-altitude airspace by integrating novel aircraft. Recent advances in batteries, electric propulsion, flight control systems, and related technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles have unlocked revolutionary opportunities for UAM use in air-taxi services, logistics delivery, medical transport, law enforcement patrols, and airport shuttle operations (Wang WZ, 2024; Markets and Markets, 2025).
Governments worldwide have introduced dedicated regulatory frameworks for UAM. In China, the Civil Aviation Law was revised in 2025 to incorporate the low-altitude economy and codify provisions on airspace, infrastructure, and other enabling safeguards. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued low-altitude unmanned aircraft regulations in 2025, establishing tiered authorization and minimum separation requirements for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations of unmanned aircraft systems. Japan, the European Union, and other jurisdictions have also promulgated relevant policies, collectively providing an institutional foundation for UAM development.
The rapid advances in unmanned aircraft and 5G/6G communication technologies, largely driven by China, are creating technological underpinnings for innovative UAM applications. However, commercial UAM operations are expected to involve multiple aircraft types and be characterized by high frequency, high density, and high operational complexity. Consequently, comprehensive deployment faces numerous obstacles, notably gaps in supporting infrastructure. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology report identified ground operations and the construction of urban low-altitude infrastructure as key bottlenecks that require systematic research and standardization.
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Chenglong LI, Runming WANG, Zhaoxuan ZHANG, Yuan ZHENG, Yang WANG, Rui YANG (2025). Key technologies of vertical take-off and landing infrastructure for urban air mobility: a comprehensive review. Engineering Information Technology & Electronic Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1631/ENG_ITEE_2025_0173
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is urban air mobility (UAM)?
UAM is defined as the safe and efficient operation of piloted or unpiloted aircraft within metropolitan areas, enabling multidimensional use of low-altitude airspace with novel aircraft such as UAVs and eVTOL vehicles.
Why is vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) infrastructure important for UAM?
VTOL infrastructure is the core facility that enables UAM, serving as a prerequisite for safe, efficient, and large-scale commercial implementation of air-taxi, logistics, medical transport, and other urban aerial services.
What key technology areas are reviewed in this paper?
The paper comprehensively surveys ground-side, airspace-side, and communication, navigation, surveillance, and information (CNSI) technologies required for low-altitude VTOL infrastructure serving UAVs and eVTOL aircraft.
What conceptual design is proposed by the authors?
The authors propose a conceptual design for a public multi-operator VTOL site that can accommodate diverse vehicle types and dense air traffic, providing constructive insights into the sustainable growth of the low-altitude economy.
What are the main challenges for VTOL infrastructure deployment?
Key challenges include the nascent state of low-altitude VTOL infrastructure technologies and the lack of harmonized construction, management, and operation standards among governments, industry, and academia.
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