The goal of MAIA is to support the design and implementation of multimodal airport access solutions. The project develops a set of data analytics and modelling tools as a basis for two passenger mobility innovations: shared autonomous vehicle fleets and unmanned aerial vehicle fleets. You can find more information on the MAIA tools in the project’s “about” section.
To shape these tools, diverse perspectives are needed. Indeed, while new smart mobility concepts are flourishing, with a huge potential for the aviation sector, it remains unclear how these innovation can complement existing airport access solutions, and how they can apply to different airport contexts.
We need the new mobility solution developers, their providers and economic ecosystem, the service operators, and the transport organising authorities to come together with the airport operators, the airlines, the infrastructure managers, and the aerial traffic management and service providers, to identify the benefits of mobility innovations for airports’ and air travel’s sustainability and efficiency, and to support the exploitation of these benefits.
To involve the stakeholders listed above, MAIA organises workshops where research outcomes are presented to collect feedbacks and integrate multiple perspectives in shaping the results.
The first MAIA workshop took place in December 2023 at POLIS offices in Brussels, gathering about 15 participants, with the objective of defining airport access challenges, and the role of mobility innovations in solving them. A list of challenges set up by the MAIA partners with desktop research and a first round of Delphi poll was presented. The inputs collected from existing studies and project results, ranked and completed by experts, were discussed in person with airport, airlines, and authority representatives. The outcomes of this first workshop were included in the project deliverable on Challenges and Opportunities of Mobility Innovations for Airport Access.
The second MAIA workshop will be organised in Autumn 2024, with the aim of presenting the status of the newly developed tools (MAIA-ENGINE, MAIA-CCAM, and MAIA-UAM), validating their relevance, and discussing how they can be applied to cover the specification of the case studies.
The concept outline of the MAIA tools will be detailed, already built with the inclusion of multiple stakeholder perspectives, using a seed in a snowball sampling technique (meeting seed stakeholders to ask them if they miss additional stakeholders). The discussions with key stakeholders will lead to define plausible scenarios for the use of the tools, including the roles potentially assumed by each stakeholder, the updated list of high-level requirements, the description of required physical infrastructure for implementing the tool, and the description of the business model behind it.
In addition to engaging stakeholders in shaping the solutions developed in the project, MAIA partners spread the word on the work conducted to ensure its integration into common European research and innovation efforts. In this regard, several occasions were used to present the project objectives, status, and connect with the right audience.
A first opportunity was taken after just 6 months in the project, at the Tomorrow Mobility World Congress in Barcelona in November 2023. POLIS Network showcased there the key role of MAIA in supporting not only airport connectivity with urban centres, but also innovation development in terms of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) use case tests and implementation. In the heart of a crowded mobility innovators’ and smart cities’ community, this first public appearance supported the promotion of the MAIA first workshop and the connection with key players of the UAM emerging ecosystem.
A second opportunity was seized at the POLIS Conference at the end of November 2023 in Leuven, Belgium, to underline the relevance of the tools developed in the project within global transport network. A presentation by the MAIA coordinator, Nommon, highlighted the role of airports in TEN-T urban nodes and the necessity of a better multimodal integration, connecting both SESAR-funded projects MAIA and MultimodX. Attended by many local authorities from the POLIS Network and beyond, as well as transport operators from diverse modes, this session contributed to engage stakeholders on mobility innovations and integrated planning.
At the same moment, MAIA was also brought to the attention of a wide audience of air traffic management stakeholders and aviation research and innovation projects at the SESAR JU Innovation Days 2023 in Sevilla, Spain. Through a dedicated poster, the project methods, objectives and first results were exposed in a common area with related initiatives, supporting networking and key outcome exchanges.
Another opportunity seized by the project partners was the Autonomy Mobility World Expo in Paris in March 2024. In this occasion, the Val D’Oise Department in France exposed their innovation testbed around the Bourget airport, and how stakeholder collaboration supports UAM development in the Ile de France Region. Collaboration with the department led to the involvement of MAIA in another event in France at the end of March 2023, the Conference on Advance Aerial Mobility, focused on the future of aviation in the country. The representation of MAIA through a dedicated stand promoted innovative airport access solution development as well as key innovative use case for UAM services, and led to new contacts for the project, in particular with heliport operators.
Finally, the latest MAIA appearance on the public stage was at the Amsterdam Drone Week in April 2024, where POLIS organised a session on local authorities’ UAM strategy development, and promoted the project use case and external experts’ advisory board. Connections were made with the Paris Airport at this conference, as well as with the Province of North Holland introducing the innovation community around the Amsterdam Schiphol airport. Intense and fruitful three days to be followed with involvement to improve the MAIA outcomes in the close future, hopefully!
While active cooperation has been widely started and fruitful with other projects, the SESAR community, and stakeholders from diverse modes and parts of the transport system, as well as the aviation traditional stakeholders and innovation players, the MAIA project is always looking for more involvement. We are especially looking for network managers’ feedback on our tools, and airports’ collaboration on the scenarios we are defining. Finally, we need support from airlines on how to develop the best tools for a better service to their passengers.
Mark your calendars for 4 December in Brussels, where stakeholders will gather at the POLIS Network offices to explore the future of airport access and passenger mobility during the first MAIA Workshop.
The first MAIA workshop is a stakeholder workshop — participants will dive deep into identifying airport access challenges and the role of mobility innovations in solving them. During this event, case studies will be defined and a dynamic exchange of ideas will be encouraged.
The MAIA partners will present the results of their first investigations in terms of airport accessibility state of the art. In the last months, they have appiled spatial analytics techniques to open data sources (e.g., Open Street Maps, GTFS feeds, etc.) to analyse current accessibility conditions in a variety of European airports. This analysis is now being enriched with desk research on the planned interventions for improving accessibility. The research includes a Delphi poll engaging experts from the External Experts Advisory Board and beyond. In the first round, experts are asked for completing and ranking the challenges identified in the previous research. The second round will happen after the workshop to confirm or infirm views shared in the first round.
During the workshop, the MAIA consortium will expose challenges observed and needs for improvement, as well as best practices and potential for collaborative learning. The audience will dive into sustainability aspects, as well as smart connections and user-friendliness.
This workshop is not exclusive to the MAIA’s stakeholder engagement group; the project does indeed extend an invitation to external experts who share their passion for redefining airport access and passenger mobility.
Save the date, Register, and Prepare to come along on this journey to reshape the future of airport access. Your insights and contributions will be invaluable in navigating the path forward.
Time: December 4, 10:30-16:00 CET
Place: POLIS office, Rue du Trône 98, 1050 Brussels
Agenda:
| Start time | End time | Topic |
| 10:30 | 10:45 | 0- Welcome |
| 10:45 | 11:15 | 1- MAIA Introduction |
| 11:15 | 12:45 | 2- Challenges for airport accessibility |
| 12:45 | 13:30 | Lunch break |
| 13:30 | 15:00 | 3- The role of connected autonomous vehicles and Urban Air Mobility in airport accessibility |
| 15:00 | 15:45 | 4- Workshop wrap-up |
As we journey into the heart of the MAIA project – “Multimodal Access for Intelligent Airports,” we are excited to share our recent milestones and achievements. MAIA is committed to revolutionizing the way we access and experience airports, and our progress speaks volumes about our dedication to this mission.
One of our early milestones was the successful submission of the Communication and Dissemination Strategy to the European Commission and the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking. This strategy serves as the blueprint for how we will effectively communicate the objectives, progress, and results of the MAIA project to a diverse audience. By fostering transparency and accessibility, we aim to engage stakeholders, experts, and the public in shaping the future of intelligent airport access.
Another significant milestone we achieved was the development and submission of the Data Management Plan. This plan outlines our rigorous approach to collecting, storing, and sharing project data. By adhering to these guidelines, we ensure that our research remains transparent, accessible, and available for future innovation and collaboration.
These milestones mark just the beginning of our journey to unlock the potential of Connected and Autonomous Mobility (CCAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) services within the airport access context. MAIA is committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and creating sustainable, passenger-centric airport access solutions.
Stay connected with us as we continue to reach new milestones and pioneer the future of airport access. Visit our website for the latest updates and insights into our groundbreaking work. Join us in shaping the future of aviation and passenger mobility. Together, we can make airport access smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable.
Project Coordinator – Ines Peirats ines.peirats@nommon.es
Dissemination Manager – Manon Coyne mcoyne@polisnetwork.eu
We are delighted to introduce you to the MAIA project, short for “Multimodal Access for Intelligent Airports.” As we unveiled our website, we invite you to embark on a journey into the future of aviation and airport access. MAIA envisions a transformative landscape where Connected and Autonomous Mobility (CCAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) services seamlessly integrate with airport infrastructure and various access modes. Through the power of AI tools and digital twins, we are shaping an era where evidence-based decisions drive passenger experience enhancement, increased capacity, and sustainability in European aviation.
MAIA’s primary mission is to develop a comprehensive set of data analytics and modeling tools that will support the design and implementation of multimodal airport access solutions. These solutions are centred around two groundbreaking passenger mobility innovations: shared autonomous vehicle fleets and unmanned aerial vehicle fleets. MAIA’s toolkit will continuously monitor and predict passenger behaviour shifts resulting from these innovations, optimize vehicle dispatching during multimodal disruptions, and recommend strategic vertiport locations. By doing so, we aim to maximize the contributions of these mobility innovations to the European aviation sector’s competitiveness and sustainability.
Identifying Opportunities and Risks: We will explore the opportunities and risks associated with passenger mobility innovations within the context of multimodal airport access.
MAIA-Engine: Our toolset for passenger-centric design and implementation of innovative multimodal airport access services will be developed, complete with new methods and tools for predicting passenger behavior.
MAIA-CCAM: This vehicle dispatching tool will support the operation of Shared Autonomous Vehicle (SAV) fleets in airport access, mitigating the impacts of multimodal disruptions.
MAIA-UAM: We will create a vertiport site selection framework to facilitate the implementation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) services in airport access. This framework will balance passenger experience, capacity, and environmental sustainability.
As we embark on this exciting journey, we invite you to meet the MAIA project team at two upcoming events:
Tomorrow Mobility World Congress (7-9 November 2023 – Barcelona): Join us at this prestigious event where industry executives, government leaders, and global experts converge to address transportation challenges. MAIA will be present, offering a unique opportunity to learn about our innovative approaches.
SESAR Innovation Days 2023 (27-30 November 2023 – Seville): Hosted by the University of Seville at the Faculty of Engineering, this event is a hub for aviation and air traffic management innovation. MAIA will actively participate, sharing insights into our research and innovation.
Project Coordinator – Ines Peirats ines.peirats@nommon.es
Dissemination Manager – Manon Coyne mcoyne@polisnetwork.eu