Infrastructure Developer & A&E Firm
How developers and engineering firms use AirIndex to qualify markets, de-risk capital allocation, and align project timelines with regulatory readiness.
A major A&E firm is evaluating vertiport development opportunities across the Southeast. Three markets look promising based on population density and airport proximity. But one has no state AAM enabling legislation. Another has a favorable regulatory posture but no operator presence. The third has an operator announcement but the zoning framework doesn’t permit vertiport construction. Without a structured readiness analysis, the firm can’t determine which market justifies the next phase of engineering investment — and which will stall after site selection.
How the engagement works
| Step | Who | What happens | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AirIndex | Scores target markets across 7 factors. Identifies which markets have the legislative framework, vertiport zoning, operator presence, and regulatory posture to support infrastructure investment — and which are blocked on one or two factors that could change in the near term. | Market readiness matrix |
| 2 | AirIndex | Produces an Infrastructure Developer Briefing: VRT-first factor ordering, site conversion viability assessment (most existing heliports cannot support eVTOL operations — most projects are greenfield), capital exposure by tier, favorable and stalled scenario projections. | Infrastructure Developer Briefing PDF |
| 3 | AirIndex | Heliport map shows all 5,647 FAA-registered sites with compliance status overlay (compliant / conditional / objectionable) — so site selection begins with verified data, not FAA 5010 records known to be inaccurate. | Site-level compliance data |
| 4 | Firm | Uses AirIndex market scores and gap analysis to rank markets by investment readiness. Allocates Phase 1 engineering to markets scoring 50+ with clear legislative momentum. Defers markets under 40 with no active legislation. | Capital allocation decision |
| 5 | AirIndex | Monitors score changes. When a stalled market passes enabling legislation or an operator announces a commitment, alerts the firm immediately. | Market watch alerts |
Most of the 5,647 FAA-registered heliports in the US cannot physically support eVTOL operations. TLOF and FATO dimension requirements for eVTOL are larger than helicopter standards. Most existing sites are encroached. Most hospital helipads were built to a 40x40 TLOF — eVTOL requires 50x50 minimum. Most cannot expand. The vertiport development conversation is almost entirely a greenfield conversation. AirIndex VRT factor scoring reflects this — we score regulatory framework, physical footprint availability, and operator interest, not conversion potential of existing helipads.
| Pre-Feasibility Market Snapshot | Complimentary one-page snapshot for a specific market. Score, tier, ordinance audit, and top three score-moving actions. Available before formal engagement. | Complimentary |
| Infrastructure Developer Briefing | Full market analysis: VRT factor breakdown, site conversion viability, capital exposure by development phase, favorable and stalled scenario projections, 12-month regulatory trajectory. | Discovery call — then scoped |
| Multi-Market Intelligence Package | Ongoing monitoring across a defined market set. Score alerts, regulatory pipeline updates, operator announcement tracking, corridor intelligence for multi-city infrastructure planning. | Annual subscription |