City Names New Operator for Lower Manhattan Heliport
The administration of Mayor Eric Adams is moving ahead with plans to bring electric helicopters to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. A notice that appeared in the City Record Online (the web-based version of the official journal of City government) on November 21 announced, “Intent to Award a Concession Agreement to Downtown Skyport LLC for the Operation of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at Pier 6 in Manhattan.”
This pending agreement is between the City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and a specially created joint venture between two firms: Skyports Infrastructure, a London-based firm that describes itself as “an advanced air mobility company developing and operating landing infrastructure for the electric air taxi revolution” and Groupe ADP, an airport operator based in France. The selection of this consortium follows a procurement process that began in November 2023 when the Adams administration issued a request for proposals to operate the the City-owned heliport and transform it with infrastructure for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, as well as last-mile and maritime freight delivery.
The emerging field of eVTOL aeronautics is centered around an all-electric variant on traditional “vertical takeoff and landing” aircraft, which ascend and touch down like helicopters, but cruise in a manner similar to fixed-wing planes. These zero-emission aircraft cruise at up to 200 miles per hour, and can charge between flights in minutes.
The contract between Downtown Skyport and the City will (if given final approval) begin on February 1 and continue through January 2030, with three optional five-year extensions that could extend the agreement through the year 2045. It mandates minimum payments to the City of $2.75 million per year, rising to $5.8 million by the final year. The agreement also requires the firm to install electric charging infrastructure needed by eVTOL aircraft, as well as boat slips to support a “marine highway” network that will facilitate last-mile micro-distribution. Cargo delivered by boat to the heliport will be transferred to electric- or human-powered vehicles – rather than trucks – for local drop-off.
EDC president Andrew Kimball said, “Downtown Skyport is committed to realizing the Adams administration’s vision to position the city as an industry leader in the adoption of eVTOL aircraft – a quieter and greener helicopter alternative – while at the same time leading on the heliport’s Blue Highways capabilities by facilitating waterborne freight and last-mile deliveries via electric cargo bikes, removing trucks [from] congested roadways.”
Although half a dozen aeronautical startups are developing eVTOL prototypes, none of these designs have yet received federal approval to carry passengers or operate in populated areas. Even if a regulatory green light is forthcoming, however, the business model of flying small groups of passengers short distances for high fares remains unproven.
Other hurdles remain. Charging eVTOL aircraft requires what are known as Level 3 electrical connections, each powerful enough to supply current to more than 250 homes simultaneously. The 12-helicopter capacity of the heavily trafficked Downtown Manhattan Heliport will likely require at least half a dozen of these, with additional capacity for the last-mile electric vehicles that are part of the contract.
In spite of the fact that commercial operation of eVTOL aircraft appears to be several years away, at a minimum, multiple firms are positioning themselves to exploit what some believe will be a transformative technology. A partnership announced in 2022 between United Airlines and startup Archer Aviation boasts that it will bring regular air taxi service connecting Lower Manhattan to Newark Airport to the facility in 2025. Archer competitor Joby Aviation announced, also in 2022, a similar partnership with Delta Airlines, which will take passengers from Manhattan to LaGuardia and Kennedy Airports. The latter plan does not specify which of Manhattan’s three existing heliports the service will use, although the Lower Manhattan facility appears to be a likely contender. These operators estimate their flight times from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to New York’s major airports at between seven and 12 minutes.
A join public hearing, hosted by the City’s Franchise and Concession Review Committee, along with the Department of Small Business Services, at which any interested person is invited to comment on this proposal, is scheduled for December 9 at 2:30pm at Two Lafayette Street (14th floor). Written testimony may be submitted in advance of the hearing via email to fcrc@mocs.nyc.gov.