Quebec, Canada-based AAM infrastructure design, construction and operation company VPorts has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the first international electric advanced air mobility corridors between Quebec and the United States. eVTOL aircraft test flights are planned for 2023.

This comes just after the company announced its intention to create Quebec's first regional electric AAM vertiport network, connecting all Quebec regions including remote communities not adequately served by surface transportation or underserved by aviation.

The MOU was signed by a consortium of international organisations including VPorts, Aéro Montréal, Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR), Innovitech, the Unmanned Aerial System Centre of Excellence (Alma) and Canada-based rotary operator Helijet International.

“Advanced air mobility is moving very fast. These Quebec-US international corridors will contribute to the development, integration and social acceptability of advanced air mobility. This initiative is in keeping with our ambition and vision to build and operate 1,500 vertiports around the world by 2045,” says VPorts president and founder Dr Fethi Chebil.

The aim of the corridors is to build an AAM ecosystem that will provide a platform for full commercial cargo transport operations using eVTOLs. They will allow the consortium's members to explore all aspects of AAM, including goods transportation, charging readiness, stakeholder management, business cases, security and safety protocols, social acceptability and urban integration of infrastructure and operations. The initiative could also be replicated in other countries.

“This project is aligned with Aéro Montréal's mission of enhancing the Quebec aerospace cluster and positioning it as an international leader. We are delighted that VPorts is leading the way in establishing electric advanced air mobility corridors between Quebec and the United States,” says Suzanne Benoît, president of Aéro Montréal, Quebec's aerospace cluster.

The consortium intends to work closely and proactively with Transport Canada, Nav Canada and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to leverage their respective expertise and regulatory authority to foster the implementation of an international framework that tests relevant technology, regulatory alignment and air traffic procedures and management.

AAM will offer a new transportation mode across regions underserved by aviation while providing substantial economic, environmental and public health benefits. All eVTOL manufacturers will have access to the corridors to conduct flight testing.