Deloitte
Deloitte office building in downtown Chicago. Credit: Mblumber/Wikimedia Commons.

Deloitte Consulting has won a contract to develop a concept of operations (ConOps) for urban air mobility (UAM), which is part of a project that focuses on the development and introduction of new air vehicles such as passenger drones and flying taxis into the air transportation system in the US.

The 12-month contract from Nasa will include the development of an initial ConOps, which will be shared with the broader aviation and UAM communities.

Deloitte Consulting specialist executive Chris Metts said: “With much change happening in aviation, Nasa is being smart by asking what all of this change means to mobility and what will be needed to safely accommodate new air vehicles in our air transport system.

“What we love about this project is that it brings together our future of mobility work at the local, state and federal government level with our private-sector aerospace and systems engineering experience.

“It also allows us to collaborate with Nasa, the Federal Aviation Administration and industry in this most important, foundational activity for the future of aviation.

“Due to that mix of work, we could demonstrate a distinctive set of skills, capabilities and understanding of the changing aviation landscape.”

In a series of articles on ‘Elevating the Future of Mobility’, Deloitte has discussed how widespread use of UAM could reshape the future of mobility and aviation.

The articles focus on infrastructural, psychological, technological and air traffic management challenges.

“We could demonstrate a distinctive set of skills, capabilities and understanding of the changing aviation landscape.”

Deloitte Consulting managing director and future of aviation and urban air mobility leader Matt Metcalfe said: “Because of the rapid pace of change, developing a vision of urban air mobility requires practical knowledge of global aviation ecosystem, as well as experience with disruptive change other commercial sectors.

“We have developed an advisory team of key global aviation and mobility leaders across Deloitte’s global aviation business, as well as industry, federal and local government, and academia. They will provide tremendous insight and will help us shape a ConOps.”

Deloitte provides audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to several brands, including the Fortune 500, and more than 5,000 private and middle market companies.