Here we provide an overview over the different types of aerial mobility modes we identified. Generally, we can differentiate between four that are a combination of what they carry (Cargo vs. People) and the environment which they operate in (long-distance vs. urban).
In aircrafts as a means of mobility, we generally identified two dimensions that the modes of mobility can be categorized in: The overall environment that the aircraft is supposed to operate in & what it is supposed to carry. We therefore distinguish between mobility of cargo and mobility of people and examine both in (sub-)urban and long-distance environment.
Of the resulting four central fields of application, both use cases of aircrafts in long-distance settings are currently the most frequently used means of mobility respectively.
Long-distance mobility of people (I) refers to all kinds of flights with conventional aircrafts.
As for long-distance cargo transport (II): In Germany alone, 4,488,000 tons of cargo have been transported via aircrafts - in spite of the ongoing pandemic and the resulting suspension of passenger flights. Interestingly, the dip in comparison to years prior can be explained due to the loss of cargo capacities on passenger planes. [1]
The two remaining fields of application which are attributed to the (sub-)urban setting refer to a more disruptive technology in mobility of people (III) and cargo (IV) alike: Drones. A drone is generally defined as an unmanned aircraft that is controlled remotely from the ground and especially used in military context [2], but when mentioning a drone we refer to cargo or passenger drones which operate autonomously in a (sub-)urban setting. These types of drones currently rise in popularity and projects researching their go-to-market and potential commercialization are supported by government institutions and established companies alike. [3] [4] [5] [6]
