Systematic Mapping of the Literature on Vertiport Location in Urban Environments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/jatm.v18.1447Keywords:
Advanced air mobility, Electric vertical take-off and landing, Urban aviation, Location optimization, Systematic mapping reviewAbstract
To map and synthesize research on locating urban vertiports for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, including electrically powered variants. A systematic mapping review used a predefined protocol with research questions, selection criteria, and structured data extraction. In 2025, searches covered five themes: urban air mobility, location-allocation, optimization, network and routing, and vertical takeoff and landing aircraft across major scientific databases. From 1,056 records, duplicates were removed, and screening yielded 31 studies. Most studies propose mathematical optimization models, predominantly integer linear programming formulations solved with commercial optimization tools. Some incorporate vertiport capacity and socio-environmental criteria such as noise, land use, and equitable access, while others address only operational factors. Applications on real networks with observed demand data are common; specialized simulation is less frequent. Evaluations mainly report travel time, demand coverage, and costs, and often include sensitivity analyses and limited validation procedures. Research is progressing in modeling vertiport networks, but validation remains weakly standardized, and uncertainty treatment is still limited. Comparable evaluation protocols and stronger socio-environmental robustness are needed to better support planning decisions in advanced air mobility.
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Copyright (c) 2026 John Heberty de Freitas, Ronaldo Martins da Costa, Michelle Carvalho Galvão da Silva Pinto Bandeira
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