Mapping research achievements on urban air mobility: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a promising component of future mobility systems. To ensure its smooth and viable implementation, it is crucial that authorities, organizations, public services and stakeholders in general consider not only economic aspects but also environmental, safety and socio-economic factors through a holistic approach. However, the current literature primarily focuses on specific subtopics of UAM individually, failing to address the topic in an integrated and comprehensive manner. This study aims to overcome this limitation by conducting a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on UAM, analyzing a database of 129 articles published between 2017 and 2023. Specifically, a bibliographic coupling analysis and a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) were performed. The results include a list of 150 indicators used to assess environmental, safety and socio-economic impacts of UAM, as well as the identification of four core thematic clusters: (1) UAM Technology and its Sustainability; (2) Environmental Assessment; (3) Traffic Management for the Airspace Industry; and (4) Passenger Transport and Demand Management. The findings of this research complement existing literature and contribute to the development of the field by shedding light on UAM’s key stakeholders, impacts and the indicators used to assess these impacts.