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National Post

Kearney and the World Economic Forum Outline Three Priorities for Advanced Air Mobility: Real-World Implementation, Cross-Sector Collaboration, and Early Drone Insights

Article content Advanced air mobility is evolving rapidly from concept to reality, promising to transform how people and goods move. More than 40 leading organizations unite under the AVIATE initiative to develop safe, sustainable, and equitable solutions. Lessons from early drone deployments offer valuable insights for scalable and responsible growth. Article content LONDON — Leading global consultancy Kearney, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, has today published a new report highlighting the rapid evolution of advanced air mobility (AAM) from concept to practical deployment. Expected to redefine transport and enable critical services such as infrastructure inspection, wildfire detection, and emergency response, the AAM market is projected to grow to nearly 80 billion dollars by 2034. 1 To ensure that this growth is responsible and aligned with societal needs, the AVIATE: Advanced Air Mobility initiative has united more than 40 leading organizations, including regulators, manufacturers, operators, and infrastructure providers, to collaboratively develop practical solutions that support safe, sustainable, and equitable AAM deployment worldwide. Article content Aligning on a north star for responsible growth Article content AAM's success depends on a shared vision focused on three pillars: safety and security, societal and environmental sustainability, and economic resilience. These pillars provide a framework to reduce risk, build public trust, and ensure long-term value. Embedding these principles from the outset helps lay a foundation for efficient implementation, social acceptance, and lasting impact. Article content Collaboration across the value chain Article content Progress requires coordination among diverse stakeholders. The complex AAM ecosystem demands actions that align regulations with operations, advance infrastructure, and support scalable business models. Stakeholders must balance their priorities with collective responsibility to keep safety, sustainability, and economic viability central. Article content Learning from pioneering drone deployments Article content Early drone projects such as India's Medicine from the Sky program, which delivers medical supplies up to 10 times faster than traditional transport, provided a valuable lesson for the broader AAM industry. Article content 2 Article content These initiatives highlight the importance of early stakeholder engagement, scalable and financially sustainable deployment models, and building social acceptance through tangible community benefits and local partnerships. They also reveal practical challenges such as integrating with existing airspace regulations and developing necessary infrastructure. Drawing on these experiences can help the AAM sector anticipate hurdles and adopt collaborative strategies for responsible, scalable growth. Article content AAM's expanding role and future challenges Article content Beyond drones, larger AAM aircraft hold promise across healthcare, logistics, urban mobility, and emergency services. However, challenges such as high capital expenditure, maintenance complexity, and the need for deeper multimodal integration remain. Overcoming these will require sustained investment, regulatory clarity, and ongoing cross-sector collaboration. Article content Javier González, partner, Kearney; co-founder of the Kearney Advanced Mobility Institute, said: Article content 'Advanced air mobility represents a transformative opportunity, but one that must be developed with care. As the industry moves from promise to practice, we must prioritize safety, sustainability, and societal benefit from the outset. The early success of drone deployments gives us a valuable blueprint. Now is the time to apply those lessons at scale and collaborate across sectors to shape an AAM ecosystem that delivers long-term value.' Article content Arunima Sarkar, head of Frontier Technologies, World Economic Forum, said: Article content 'To realize the full potential of advanced air mobility, we must ensure the right frameworks are in place from the beginning. This means enabling alignment and cooperation across countries, sectors, and communities to build ecosystems that are not only innovative but also inclusive and resilient. AVIATE demonstrates how a common vision and multistakeholder collaboration can lay the groundwork for progress that benefits all.' Article content The full report is available to view here: Notes 1 Prophecy Market Insights. (2024, June). Global forecast report on advanced air mobility market, 2024–2034. 2 Torkington, S. (2024, October 8). How medicines 'dropping from the sky' are transforming healthcare in India. World Economic Forum. About Kearney Since 1926, Kearney has been a leading management consulting firm and trusted partner to three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500 and governments around the world. With a presence across more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We work impact first, tackling your toughest challenges with original thinking and a commitment to making change happen together. By your side, we deliver—value, results, impact. 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