What is Regional Air Mobility (RAM)?

One of the most underutilized and misunderstood terms in the air mobility lexicon is Regional Air Mobility (RAM). For many, RAM first brings to mind the concept of computer memory (random access memory). However, within the context of air mobility, there's often ambiguity over whether RAM refers to Regional Air Mobility or Rural Air Mobility. While there's no definitive right or wrong way to interpret RAM, the application of Regional Air Mobility is arguably more relevant for linking Urban Air Mobility (UAM) with larger areas, including not just suburban regions but also rural ones. It's unlikely, after all, that discussions about "rural air mobility" would intentionally omit suburban and urban areas.

Outside the urban scope of UAM lie various remote locations such as villages, small towns, isolated islands, and communities divided by vast rivers, towering mountains, and thick woodlands. These places are too distant for conventional planes to ascend to cruising altitude efficiently, yet not close enough to feasibly utilize an air taxi service from one vertiport to another. This gap presents an ideal opportunity for Regional Air Mobility to emerge as a viable alternative, a niche currently filled by helicopters and small aircraft.

Helicopters, while operational, are limited by their passenger and cargo capacity and are notorious for their significant noise and fuel emissions. Similarly, small aircraft are hindered by their need for runways and reliance on carbon-based fuels, issues that eVTOLs (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles) and passenger drones aim to resolve. Therefore, it is in this less commonly discussed segment of air mobility that innovative technologies are poised to make a substantial difference. After all, for short and long distances, there are already established modes of transportation like cars, trains, buses, and conventional airplanes.

Highlighting the potential of regional air transport and RAM are initiatives like Lilium 's strategy to link the Bavarian cities of Munich and Nuremberg via airports, along with efforts to connect islands in Greece or the Maldives.

For more information about RAM as well as our blog posts and infographics related to it, check out our dedicated page on air mobility!

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