The UK's first vertiport testbed, a landing spot for aircraft which takes off vertically, is set to be developed at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire.

The 444-acre estate will play a significant role in advancing electric aviation in the UK.

The new vertiport being developed by Skyports Infrastructure will feature a 160 sq m passenger terminal and offer facilities for both ground infrastructure and flight operation tests.

Set for completion by the end of 2024, the facility will sit alongside Bicester Motion's existing runways and serve as a key component of the UK's aviation future.

Skyports CEO, Duncan Walker, said: "Our vertiport at Bicester Motion is ideally located to serve as a central hub for the UK's advanced air mobility industry.

“The facility will be employed by Skyports and our strategic partners to test and refine all aspects of our ground technology and operations within a UK context.

"This will also be a key location for early demonstration flights in the UK and will help to pave the way for permanent operations in the future.”

Developed under the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium and supported by Innovate UK's Future Flight Challenge, the vertiport aims to be a central node for early network planning and demonstrations.

The consortium will also use it for wider testing and public engagement.

Vertical Aerospace, which is currently developing one of the world's most advanced electric aircraft, plans to conduct demonstration flights at the facility.

The design of the UK vertiport is inspired by other Skyports' testbeds located in Paris and California.

It has been submitted for review to the Cherwell District Council.

In line with its vision to connect urban centres with regional, tourism and retail hubs, the vertiport is located in Bicester Motion - an approximately one hour 40 minute drive from central London - proving viable for air taxi services.

By air taxi, the journey would take less than 25 minutes.

Daniel Geoghegan, Bicester Motion chief executive, described the agreement as a "major step for UK aviation innovation".

He praised the partnership with Skyports and underlined the significant boost it will bring to Oxfordshire’s aviation hub.

In October 2022, Skyports launched a "Living Lab" terminal in the USA alongside partner Joby Aviation.

It also inaugurated its European vertiport testbed in France in the same year and has plans for commercial air taxi services in Dubai by 2026.

Gary Cutts from Innovate UK, said: "As a hub for researching, testing and demonstrating ground and air operations for the advanced air mobility industry, it will play a significant role in developing a UK vertiport network and implementing commercial air taxi services in the future.”