EUREKA Project

EUREKA: Supporting the Future of Innovative Air Mobility

EUREKA is a European research and innovation project that supports the development of new air mobility services, including operations with electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and advanced drone technologies. The project aims to ensure that these new forms of air transport can operate safely, efficiently and sustainably alongside today’s aviation system.

EUREKA is co-funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme and is carried out within the framework of the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, the European partnership responsible for modernising air traffic management in Europe.

The main objectives of the EUREKA project are to:

· enable the safe integration of innovative air mobility operations into existing airspace and airport environments;

· support the introduction and operation of vertiports as new aviation infrastructure;

· improve coordination and information exchange between airports, air traffic management, U-space services and air mobility operators;

· assess capacity, performance and operational impacts in urban and airport environments;

· contribute to future European regulations, standards and operational frameworks.

The project brings together airports, air navigation service providers, technology companies and research organisations to prepare European cities and airports for the introduction of innovative air

mobility, where new aircraft will operate at low altitude and often close to existing airport infrastructure.

A central focus of EUREKA is the role of vertiports, the dedicated sites where electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft take off and land. Rather than acting as isolated facilities, vertiports must be integrated into a wider ecosystem that includes airspace management, digital services and airport operations.

Solution 4 – Vertiport Network Flow, Capacity and Operational Management

EUREKA Solution 4 – Vertiport Network Flow, Capacity and Operational Management focuses on managing multiple vertiports as a coordinated local network, rather than as individual and independent facilities. The solution introduces the concept of a Local Vertiport Network Manager, supported by digital systems that help coordinate operations, manage capacity and organise traffic flows across several vertiports within the same geographical area.

This network-based approach is particularly relevant in dense urban areas and near major airports, where airspace and ground resources are limited. By managing vertiports at network level, Solution 4 supports more efficient operations, improved predictability and smoother coordination with U-space services and conventional air traffic management.

Validation Activities for Solution 4

To demonstrate the feasibility of Solution 4, a dedicated validation programme has been carried out using complementary methods.

Fast-Time Simulations were used to analyse vertiport network capacity and traffic flows under different demand scenarios, supporting strategic assessments and identifying potential bottlenecks.

Real-Time Simulations were then conducted to test operational coordination in realistic conditions, with human operators managing vertiport availability, capacity allocation and information exchange, including non-nominal situations.

In addition, a flight trial was carried out in the Pianabella regulatory sandbox at Fiumicino Airport. The trial involved several uncrewed aircraft systems and focused on testing the integration and interoperability of different operational platforms, validating information exchange between U-space services, common information services and vertiport network management systems in an operational airport environment.

Together, these activities enabled an initial assessment of the Solution 4 concept in terms of vertiport network capacity, operational coordination and system interoperability, providing structured input for further development, regulatory considerations and future validation phases.