From Gridlock to Airflow? Understanding the Total Travel Time for Advanced Air Mobility Demand at the Hamburg Airport

Abstract

This study examines the potential Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) passenger market in Hamburg, Germany, focusing on airport shuttle services. Therefore, the model uses structured data of the metropolitan area of Hamburg, including population data, status of employment and historical traffic between traffic analysis cells. Based on the structured data of Hamburg, this study implements a four-step model. The modelling of a four-step model allows for investigating the different modes of transport individually. At this point, the AAM alternative consists of an access stage, a main AAM flight and an egress stage. Since passengers decide on travel time and travel cost primarily, the model uses a multinomial logit model to estimate the utility, hence the market share of the considered alternatives. Consequently, the model investigates the impact of travel time for the AAM in detail. As a result, the AAM market reacts to variations of the travel time, which entail AAM operation limitations and capacity requirements for air and ground infrastructure. To evaluate the AAM accessibility of the Hamburg Airport with road traffic, the model compares AAM travel time with the car road traffic. Results show an average AAM time benefit when considering road itineraries that take longer than 43 minutes.