Ohio Assessed Economic Impact of Advanced Air Mobility and Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
Ohio, United States
Infrastructure to Support Advanced Autonomous Aircraft Technologies in Ohio
Summary Information
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) refers to a concept of air transportation designed to transport people and cargo between locations not easily accessible by surface transportation or underserved by conventional aviation. Central to the AAM vision are electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which carry passengers or cargo, and small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), powered by hybrid electric systems, batteries, or hydrogen fuel cells. The purpose of this study was to assess the industrial and economic benefits of advanced autonomous aircraft systems and services from 2021 to 2045 for Ohio, emphasizing interaction among team experts in economics, AAM, and sUAS programs
METHODOLOGY
The study collected information from 29 stakeholder interviews and analytical geographic information systems (GIS) data of critical infrastructure to identify the most impactful AAM and sUAS use cases for Ohio. These use cases were incorporated into the AAM Business Case Model to assess the region's capacity to adopt and maintain AAM operations. GIS-based infrastructure data and over 100 additional inputs were used to estimate operating and capital expenses, infrastructure development for Providers of Services for Unmanned Air Vehicles (PSU), total eVTOL aircraft expenditures, and operator revenues across passenger, cargo, and emergency medical use cases. The AAM Economic Impact Model was then developed to calculate the total effect of AAM on Ohio's economy at direct, indirect, and induced levels, estimating job growth, GDP, and state and local tax revenues. The study used an input/output model for a 25-year AAM economic impact assessment in six Ohio cities (2021-2045). A separate consultant analyzed the sUAS economic impact for 2020-2029.
The following six use cases were considered for AAM:
- On-Demand Air Taxi
- Regional Air Mobility
- Airport Shuttle (scheduled or on-demand)
- Emergency Services and Medical Air Ambulance
- Corporate/Business Aviation
- Cargo and Freight Delivery using eVTOLs.
The following seven use cases were considered for sUAS:
- Infrastructure Inspection – Bridges, Tunnels, Highways
- Infrastructure Inspection – Airport
- Infrastructure Inspection –Powerlines, Towers, Pipelines
- Law Enforcement and Public Safety
- Agriculture and Livestock
- Package Delivery
- Medical Non-Passenger Transport
FINDINGS
Results for AAM:
- The statewide infrastructure revenue-to-investment (R/I) ratio was determined to be approximately 2.2, indicating that private capital sources may be enticed to invest in infrastructure.
- The input/output model estimated the creation of over 15,000 direct, indirect, and induced permanent, high-paying, full-time jobs.
Results for sUAS
- The cumulative annual growth in the number of sUAS units from 2020 to 2029 was projected at 10.3 percent, taking into account the anticipated economic conditions over the decade.
- While sUAS demonstrated potential for enhanced efficiency and productivity, compared to AAM, it did not provide substantial direct economic benefits in terms of new job creation or cost savings.
