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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Many NATO armies may not be prepared for large-scale urban warfare.</li><li>Israel's operation in Gaza is a test-case for what they may need.</li></ul>Urban warfare in Gaza has revealed a painful truth for NATO: Many of its armies are ill-prepared for fighting in crowded cities.The Israel Defense Forces has achieved some success in adapting new weapons and tactics, such as arming tactical units with missiles and drones rather than relying support from aircraft and artillery, according to a new British study. The problem is that the British Army lacks the equipment to replicate Israeli tactics."While British troops may be trained to fight like the IDF, they find themselves equipped to die like Hamas," warned the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/occasional-papers/tactical-lessons-israel-defense-forces-operations-gaza-2023">report</a> by the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-army-size-smallest-since-napoleonic-wars-2024-7">British Army</a> is understrength, underequipped and underfunded. But so are many European armies that dwindled after the end of the Cold War. Even some American experts worry about the city-fighting capabilities of the <a target="_blank" href="https://warontherocks.com/2023/12/learning-from-real-wars-gaza-and-ukraine/">US Army</a>, which is far more lavishly equipped and supplied than its NATO counterparts. There is good reason for concern: urban warfare has become a fixture of warfare on a rapidly urbanizing planet, from <a target="_blank" href="https://mwi.westpoint.edu/urban-warfare-case-study-6-first-battle-of-fallujah/">Fallujah</a> in 2003 to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bakhmut-how-ukraine-lost-city-russia-won-hollow-victory-2023-12">Bakhmut</a> in 2023.So it's natural for NATO armies to study how the IDF — a NATO-style mechanized force with a reputation for innovative tactics and high-tech equipment — is battling Hamas among the labyrinthine streets and high-rises of Gaza. Like Western militaries, the last place the IDF wants to fight is in a city, where buildings and rubble shelter the defender, impede armored vehicles and hamper airpower and artillery. Gaza poses an added challenge: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-invasion-gaza-hamas-hardest-fighting-underground-tunnels-warfare-2023-10">a vast tunnel network</a> that Hamas uses for storing weapons and springing hit-and-run attacks.Indeed, Israel even coined a term for this form of combat: "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israeli-troops-struggled-to-fight-through-gaza-sections-reduced-rubble-2024-7">Devastated terrain warfare</a>." Israel's aerial barrage reduced many neighborhoods to rubble before ground forces moved in and is the leading cause of the 39,000 reported Palestinian fatalities. It is a challenging environment for Israel in particular, a small nation of 10 million people that is sensitive to casualties among its soldiers, the majority of whom are reservists.<div type="image" title="Israeli troops and their vehicles have faced challenges operating in sections of Gaza that the Israeli Air Force shattered." height="1342" width="2000" msid="112424687" hostid="261" sizebytes="269204"></div>One tactic that proved effective was to give the lower echelon units — such as platoons — small attack <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armies-need-their-own-drone-air-force-flown-by-specialists-study-says-2024-5">drones</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-tank-missiles-armor-ukraine-tank-still-has-battlefield-role-2023-10">anti-tank missiles</a>. "It was discovered that units that had these systems as well as ATGMs [anti-tank guided missiles] could monitor more urban terrain and conduct precision strikes at tempo in support of tactical actions," RUSI said. "The small size of the munitions used meant that they could be used with an expectation of precision."With Hamas hiding in and raiding from an estimated 450 miles of concrete tunnels, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-uses-yahalom-unit-when-it-needs-to-fight-underground-2023-11">the IDF</a> also found that it couldn't clear buildings first and then destroy the tunnels underneath. "As the operation developed, it became evident that this allowed Hamas to persist in conducting ambushes for a protracted period and to then transition to a layered defense of underground facilities," noted RUSI analysts Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds, who co-authored the report. "Nor could underground infrastructure be safely bypassed." This meant that Israeli troops had to clear the surface and tunnels simultaneously.Surprisingly, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-pounding-gaza-massive-spice-kit-bombs-2023-12">the high-rise buildings</a> of Gaza proved less beneficial to Hamas than anticipated. Fighters stationed in the upper stories had limited visibility and fields of fire, so the tendency was to stick to the first few levels. But tall buildings did help the defender in another way: destroying them with air strikes led to extensive rubble that hampered the attacker's tanks and infantry.The biggest lesson of Gaza is the importance of firepower in urban warfare, according to RUSI. This makes arming tactical units, such as infantry platoons, with as much firepower as possible. Unlike mechanized operations, where low-level infantry and armored units might get air and artillery support from higher headquarters, city fighting tends to be waged by small units.Firepower played a decisive role "in determining initiative during the fighting in Gaza," RUSI said. "Ultimately, the superiority in responsiveness and organic lethality of IDF units made it costly for Hamas to mount attacks, and the larger the force it endeavored to bring to bear, the higher the cost of any given action. Furthermore, while indirect fire prevented Hamas from concentrating its forces, the limited organic lethality of its teams meant that once they engaged IDF troops, they were quickly suppressed and thereafter destroyed."Another lesson is the importance of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-israel-defense-systems-weapons-in-action-2024-4">air defense</a>. "Buildings do not offer significant protection against air-delivered munitions because of the weight of ordnance that can be dropped with precision," the report pointed out.Airpower also hampers maneuver, a major handicap for armies that usually lack the strength to occupy an entire city, and thus have to redeploy troops to key sectors. "Hamas's lack of ability to threaten Israeli aircraft and ISR [aerial reconnaissance] meant that it was unable to concentrate and lacked freedom of maneuver," said RUSI. "Once its defensive strong points were identified, they could be reduced. The weight of munitions deliverable from the air outweighs anything deliverable from artillery systems, such that many of the defensive advantages of urban terrain can be bypassed if it is possible to conduct precision bombing from medium altitude."In other words, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-israel-trying-to-achieve-in-gaza-bombing-2023-12">aerial bombing</a> from this altitude is accurate and high volume enough to destroy most urban strongholds or render them useless.This phenomenon has been seen in Ukraine, said Watling and Reynolds, who have extensively studied that conflict. "Whenever the Russian air force has established access at medium altitude near an urban settlement, it has rapidly destroyed it, enabling subsequent capture."However, the lessons of Israeli operations are not always applicable to other conflicts. For example, unlike Russia, Hamas has no artillery, nor electronic warfare to jam Israeli drones and communications, RUSI said. Hamas also only had 40,000 fighters at the war's start, many of whom are now casualties.Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.twitter.com/@mipeck1">Twitter</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mipeck/">LinkedIn</a>.

Israel's urban warfare tactics in Gaza offer lessons for NATO armies

The <keyword id="50190" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="asian-development-bank" source="Orion">Asian Development Bank</keyword> (ADB) has approved a USD 400 million loan to support the Indian government's <keyword id="706405" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="urban-reform" source="Orion">urban reform</keyword> agenda for creating high-quality <keyword id="557969" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="urban-infrastructure" source="Orion">urban infrastructure</keyword> and efficient governance systems. The programme also envisages integrated urban planning reforms to control urban sprawls and foster systemic and planned urbanisation through enhancing the entire ecosystem of legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms along with capacity building of ULBs and community awareness, ADB said. "The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 400 million policy-based loan to India for Sub-programme 2 of the <keyword id="8174895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sustainable-Urban-Development" source="Orion">Sustainable Urban Development</keyword> and Service Delivery Programme. "The programme aims to support the government's urban reform agenda for improving the quality of urban life through the creation of high-quality urban infrastructure, assured public services, and efficient governance systems," ADB said. While Subprogramme 1, approved in 2021, established national-level policies and guidelines to improve urban services, Subprogramme 2 is supporting investment planning and reform actions at the state and urban local body (ULB) levels. "India has recognised the potential for cities to be centres of economic growth and has emphasised the need to make cities livable through inclusive, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure, which is also in line with ADB Strategy 2030," ADB Principal Urban Development Specialist <keyword id="86074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjay-Joshi" source="Orion">Sanjay Joshi</keyword> said.

ADB approves $400 mn loan to support govt's urban reform agenda

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NYC is far behind on requirements to build bike and bus lanes, among other non-car infrastructure.</li><li>This comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul suspended a new toll on vehicles in Manhattan below 60th Street.</li></ul>As urban dwellers around the world turn to two wheels to get around their cities, some governments are handling the shift better than others. The number of <keyword id="22853778" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bicycle-trips" source="keywords">bicycle trips</keyword> in Paris <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2023/11/11/a-paris-la-frequentation-des-pistes-cyclables-a-double-en-un-an_6199510_4355770.html">doubled</a> between 2022 and 2023, thanks to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-22/how-paris-will-become-100-cyclable">massive expansion</a> of the French capital's bike lane network. Tourists in town for the Olympics <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://slate.com/culture/2024/08/olympics-paris-games-bike-infrastructure-cycling-streets-safety-transportation.html?via=rss">are encouraged to cycle</a> to the Games. <keyword id="19901403" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-York-City" source="keywords">New York City</keyword> has also seen <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://momentummag.com/new-york-city-leads-the-way-as-new-report-shows-surge-in-cycling-across-the-u-s/">a surge in bicycling</a> since the pandemic caused many to avoid mass transit and ride shares. The success of the Citibike bike share program is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.curbed.com/2023/05/citi-bike-nyc-ridership-10-years.html">a huge part of that change</a>. But anyone who hops on two wheels in New York is facing more dangerous and congested roads than in other leading global cities. The city Department of Transportation — which controls the streets, but not trains and buses — is behind on its longer-term plan to boost pedestrian and bike infrastructure. The city's five-year NYC Streets Plan, which became law in 2019, requires the city to build 250 miles of <keyword id="22853779" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="protected-bike-lanes" source="keywords">protected bike lanes</keyword> by 2026, among other safe streets priorities. So far this year, the city has completed just 2.3 miles of protected lanes, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://projects.transalt.org/bikelanes">according to the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives</a>. Last year, it built 38.6 miles of 50 required miles of protected <keyword id="22853777" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bike-lanes" source="keywords">bike lanes</keyword> and in 2022 it built 19.9 miles of the 30 miles it was required to build. At this time last year, it had built <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvH-_LFOkMP/?igsh=MWc3b244NDJxejk5MA%3D%3D">9.7 miles of lanes</a>. The city DOT told Business Insider that most bike lane construction happens in the second half of the year because of weather issues, and it disputed the 2.3-mile figure. But the department didn't provide an estimated number of bike lane miles it expects to complete this year. DOT noted that it built more protected lanes last year "than every major American city combined." Adams isn't just required by law to build bike lanes. He <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.amny.com/news/eric-adams-seeks-the-cycling-vote-with-a-promise-for-300-miles-of-bike-lanes/">campaigned for mayor on a promise</a> to build 300 miles of protected lanes in his first four-year term. And the funding for the Streets Plan — more than $900 million — has already been allocated to DOT. The Adams administration has also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/nyc-streets-plan-update-2024.pdf">fallen behind</a> on other priorities in the Streets Plan, including building dedicated bus lanes and upgrading bus stops. Advocates say the slow pace of progress comes down to politics. "The money is there, the law is there, but the mayor doesn't seem to be there," said Elizabeth Adams, interim director of Transportation Alternatives. "And that's really what's holding this up." The city has made progress in some areas. A DOT spokesperson noted to Business Insider that the city has built "over a million square feet of pedestrian space over two years, exceeding the target in the Streets Plan." New York's plan to impose a new toll — known as congestion pricing — on vehicles that drive in Manhattan's central business district would have been a boon for more sustainable modes of transport. Fewer cars and trucks on the street means more space for bikers and pedestrians. Since London implemented congestion pricing 20 years ago, daily car trips have fallen while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-23/london-bike-boom-risks-becoming-a-victim-of-its-own-success">bicycling trips have quadrupled</a>. But since New York Gov. Kathy Hochul abruptly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/05/nyregion/congestion-pricing-pause-hochul.html">suspended</a> the congestion pricing plan she had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYQSH5E5p5Y">long celebrated</a>, a less congested future — not to mention at least <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/nyregion/subway-mta-finances-congestion-pricing.html">$15 billion</a> for the city's subways and buses — is on hold. In May, weeks before the city was set to implement congestion pricing, the DOT unveiled <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2024/connect-core-access-business-district.shtml#:~:text=A%20report%20detailing%20this%20work,%2C%20safer%2C%20and%20more%20convenient.">a plan</a> to improve pedestrian and bike infrastructure to give New Yorkers better access to Manhattan below 60th street. The city insists it's moving forward with its plans despite the governor's about-face, and Adams said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2024/06/11/mayor-adams-congestion-pricing-hochul">he supported</a> Hochul's reversal on congestion pricing. "We are continuing to develop these projects regardless of the pause. Many are either in construction, or will start construction soon," a spokesperson for DOT told Business Insider in a statement. Advocates for mass transit and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure say the safety and environmental impact of traffic is a crisis. New York was the most congested city in the world for the second year in a row, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://inrix.com/scorecard/">one major study</a>. Congestion and crowding in the city "is very much at a breaking point," said Adams, of Transportation Alternatives. "We should be doing everything we can to make it easier to get around outside of a car," she added. <h2>Traffic deaths overtake gun deaths in NYC</h2>These days, biking doesn't feel like a viable option for many New Yorkers worried about safety. The city streets were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/cars-and-robert-moses-transform-nyc-video/new-york-documentary-film/">designed to maximize vehicle speed</a> rather than to get as many New Yorkers around as efficiently and safely as possible. Bikers have to contend with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://transalt.org/press-releases/new-data-shines-light-on-the-growing-dangers-and-growing-ownership-of-suvs-in-new-york-city#:~:text=In%202016%2C%20SUVs%20were%20slightly,consequences%20for%20vulnerable%20road%20users.">larger cars</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-01-06/welcome-to-the-age-of-extreme-acceleration?srnd=citylab">more speeding</a>, a surge in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2024/04/25/dot-will-spend-11m-to-boost-off-hour-deliveries">delivery trucks</a>, and a rash of speeding <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/27/nyregion/street-wars-e-bikes.html">mopeds and e-bikes</a>. While New York City streets have generally gotten safer since the city adopted its 'Vision Zero' plan in 2014 to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in 2014, progress hasn't been consistent. Pedestrian deaths are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/nyregion/traffic-deaths-vision-zero.html" target="_blank">way up so far in 2024</a>. This year, New Yorkers were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://gothamist.com/news/cars-prove-far-deadlier-than-guns-in-nyc-so-far-this-year">more likely to be killed in a traffic crash</a> than by gun violence. While pedestrian deaths fell <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-03-11/new-york-city-s-decade-long-battle-for-pedestrian-safety">last year</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/nyregion/nyc-cyclist-deaths-ebike.html">more bicyclists died</a> on New York City's streets in 2023 than in any year since 1999, although a DOT spokesperson noted that cyclist deaths are "down nearly 37% so far this year." Cities like Paris, London, Tokyo, and Bogotá have proven how essential — and beneficial — pedestrian and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-design-index/">multi-modal infrastructure</a> is to a healthy city. Better bike and pedestrian infrastructure doesn't just mean safer streets and cleaner air — they're also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bike-lanes-good-for-business-studies-better-streets-2024-3">good for business</a>. Advocates say New Yorkers should follow their lead. "What New York City can learn is that when you commit to comprehensive bike infrastructure, it works," Elizabeth Adams said. "People are happier and it boosts the economy, and the streets are safer, and the air is cleaner, and people shift modes very quickly." Note: Correction: August 14, 2024 — This article has been updated to clarify that pedestrian deaths are higher this year, rather than traffic deaths, and added additional context around the city's building of pedestrian infrastructure and recent cyclist death counts.

Urban biking is booming around the world, but New York City is falling behind

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mark Zuckerberg said his goal is to be politically neutral and avoid appearing otherwise.</li><li>In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, he said he won't donate to support election infrastructure in 2024.</li></ul>Unlike some of his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-endorses-trump-after-pennsylvania-rally-incident-2024-7">tech founder</a> peers, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-net-worth-priscilla-chan">Mark Zuckerberg</a> says he's not interested in getting involved with politics in 2024.In a letter sent Monday to Republican <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-judiciary-committee-probe-garm-brand-safety-conservative-media-2024-5">Rep. Jim Jordan</a>, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and has been a vocal critic of Zuckerberg, the Meta CEO said his goal was to remain "neutral.""My goal is to be neutral and not play a role one way or another — or to even appear to be playing a role," Zuckerberg wrote in the letter, which was obtained by Business Insider and first reported by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/mark-zuckerberg-neutral-politics-letter-election-2024-02b86372?mod=hp_lead_pos5">The Wall Street Journal</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-mark-zuckerberg-sent-prison-elected-truth-social-2024-7">Zuckerberg</a> said that, unlike the last presidential election, he does not plan to donate to support election infrastructure in 2024. In 2020, he and his wife donated $400 million to nonpartisan organizations helping run elections during the pandemic. Republicans branded them "Zuckerbucks" and claimed that they benefited Democrats in the election."They were designed to be non-partisan — spread across urban, rural, and suburban communities. Still, despite the analyses I've seen showing otherwise, I know that some people believe this work benefited one party over the other," he wrote.Though the donations have long been controversial, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/zuckerbucks-did-not-cost-donald-trump-2020-election">study</a> published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in May found private donations, like Zuckerberg's, did not advantage Democrats.In the letter, Zuckerberg also addressed Meta's content moderation, an issue Jordan and other Republicans have been highly critical of, accusing the social media platform of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-go-after-meta-google-censorship-allegations-elon-musk-2024-7">censoring conservative viewpoints</a>.Zuckerberg said in 2021 the Biden administration repeatedly pressured Meta to remove content related to COVID-19 and "expressed a lot of frustration" when the company did not agree.Internal Meta emails obtained by the Journal last year previously showed the company had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-meta-zuckerberg-took-down-covid-posts-biden-administration-pressure-2023-7">removed content related to COVID-19</a> after pressure from the White House."Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure," Zuckerberg wrote, adding, "I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it."The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.In 2023, Jordan threatened to hold Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress for not providing documents related to censorship of conservative viewpoints.Zuckerberg also acknowledged that in 2020, Meta suppressed a New York Post story about Hunter Biden's laptop while waiting for fact-checking to investigate, adding, "in retrospect, we shouldn't have demoted the story."He said the company changed its processes to prevent this from happening again, such as no longer demoting stories while waiting for a fact-check.Zuckerberg has previously said Meta was wrong to suppress the laptop story.Meta declined to comment when reached by BI.

Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to be 'neutral' on politics and won't donate to support election infrastructure this year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The era of electric air taxis is near, with eVTOLs expected to fly commercially starting next year.</li><li>One expert said eVTOLs fly at low altitudes and could create airspace and security challenges.</li></ul>The US's first <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-electric-air-taxi-archer-evtol-2023-6">electric vertical-takeoff and -landing aircraft</a> are expected to fly commercial passengers as soon as 2025.At launch, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-investing-in-evtol-aircraft-united-american-2022-8">these zero-emission, piloted air taxis</a> — which take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane — are expected to hop between city centers and major airports as a faster and more efficient alternative to driving. The battery-powered vehicles are also much quieter than the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/helicopter-ride-nyc-east-hampton-price-increase-airport-noise-regulation-2022-4">noisy helicopters that commonly fly over densely populated cities</a>.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aerosociety.com/news/will-the-aerial-taxis-of-the-future-be-safe/#:~:text=With%20orders%20for%2010%2C000%20eVTOLs,one%20estimate%20from%20JP%20Morgan.">the Royal Aeronautical Society</a>, more than 10,000 eVTOLs are on order worldwide in deals worth some $60 billion.Carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways, as well as noncommercial operators like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-electric-air-taxi-delivered-to-us-joby-evtol-2023-10">US Air Force, have placed orders</a> for the new type of aircraft.The investments signal confidence in the futuristic eVTOLs and the burgeoning market for urban air mobility, which JPMorgan analysts have predicted <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-startups-evtol-flying-car-industry-urban-air-mobility-2022-4">could be worth about $1 trillion</a> by 2040.However, the widespread commercialization and expansion of eVTOLs will depend on public acceptance and how regulators and operators address infrastructure challenges both on the ground and in the air.<h2 id="1aca0131-7716-4576-b98f-4cfc4392b0c8">Existing landing zones will need to be electrified with expensive chargers</h2>With up to 200 of the US-based Archer Aviation's Midnight aircraft on order, United is expected to operate the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-to-use-electric-air-taxi-in-chicago-new-york-2023-3">US's first commercial eVTOL route starting in 2025</a>.In June, the aircraft<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-taxi-firm-archer-gets-faa-approval-for-commercial-operations-2024-6"> received federal approval to fly commercially </a>as a Part 135 operator, meaning it can run non-scheduled operations like on-demand private charters. It still needs further approvals to fly for airlines like United, but the latest certificate puts it one step closer.United's planned hopper service is set to fly 10 to 20 minutes between downtown Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, offering an alternative to a drive that often takes more than an hour.A later, second United eVTOL route is planned between Chicago's city center and O'Hare International Airport.<div type="image" title="United Airlines Archer Aviation Midnight eVTOL concept drawing." height="1432" width="1866" msid="110773504" hostid="261" sizebytes="77084"></div>All the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-connectivity-software-can-make-flying-taxis-reality-2024-2">eVTOL destinations have established spots for the electric aircraft</a> to take off from and land on. This type of operation is favored because the landing spots don't take up much space and can be placed near high-density sites such as sports arenas, finance districts, or concert venues.Archer's chief growth and infrastructure officer, Bryan Bernhard, told Business Insider that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-inside-tour-evtols-the-flying-taxis-revolutionize-commuting-2023-11">Midnight would primarily use these existing heliports</a> or VTOL-specific "vertiports" to start. It also plans to repurpose already-built city infrastructure, such as parking-garage rooftops, as additional landing zones.Regardless of location, facilities that want to welcome eVTOLs like the Midnight must invest in chargers. Bernhard said Archer's would be expensive to purchase and install but would not put a massive new strain on the power grid.He said the challenge lay in striking the right balance between battery conservation and terminal convenience when choosing where to place landing zones.<div type="image" title="The rear two seats of an Archer Midnight eVTOL with x-shaped seatbelts." height="3024" width="4032" msid="110773503" hostid="261" sizebytes="963482"></div>"We're utilizing existing assets and existing routes, so it'll be easy to integrate into that," he said. "But you want to be strategic on where the charger is so the vehicle doesn't have a long taxi path before it can take off."Bernhard added that the Midnight's charger had about the same power output as a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ev-charging-stations-explained-levels-plugs-tesla-supercharger-2022-12">high-speed EV charger.</a><h2 id="be9d0476-d82b-4eb1-a3d5-a187d219bab6">Newly built vertiports may not be welcome in less-urban areas</h2>Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst, told BI that the continued development of high-density batteries was crucial to eVTOL operators' hope of carrying more people and cargo longer distances.This would lead to the need for newly built vertiports.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-to-launch-air-taxi-service-uae/">Joby Aviation,</a> the first and only other US eVTOL manufacturer to secure an FAA certification, has, for example, partnered with eVTOL infrastructure provider Skyports to build four vertiports around Dubai.A Joby spokesperson told BI the company's global operations, which it plans to also extend to places like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-ana-partner-nomura-real-estate-vertiports-japan/">Japan</a>, would "blend into the background" and not disrupt daily life."We worked with NASA to analyze the acoustic footprint of the aircraft, demonstrating that at takeoff, it is quieter than a conversation at a distance of 100 meters and is barely perceptive when flying overhead at an altitude of just 500 meters," Joby said.<div type="image" title="Joby in Dubai" height="1500" width="2000" msid="110773508" hostid="261" sizebytes="138736"></div>Across the world, Rani Plaut, the CEO of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.airev.aero/">Air</a>, an Israeli company developing a two-seater eVTOL, told BI that the more infrastructure built to support the growing air-taxi market, the quicker the public would become accustomed to it.Harteveldt said, however, that this unique challenge of public acceptance would be particularly difficult in less-urban communities."There could be an opportunity to build new vertiports in places like office parks or shopping centers," he said. "However, one thing we know to be true is that communities will not want eVTOLs buzzing in and out at all times, even if they're electric."Harteveldt suggested that the optimal places for new vertiports were on top of or adjacent to convention centers or on waterfronts in places like New York City and San Francisco.<div type="image" title="Pilots training in Joby Aviation's eVTOL." height="784" width="1185" msid="110773509" hostid="261" sizebytes="111536"></div>Fortunately for operators, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.faa.gov/airports/new_entrants/aam_infrastructure">Federal Aviation Administration's</a> official vertiport guidance, coming in 2025, is set to be performance-based. Bernard said the fewer regulatory requirements would make building new US facilities quicker and less costly.<h2 id="09227db6-e9ec-4a66-b5e5-58d27f280cdd">eVTOL operators need to consider airspace safety, security, and efficiency</h2>While manufacturers will face infrastructure challenges on the ground, the industry must also figure out how to efficiently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-makes-a-60-million-investment-in-evtols-joby-aviation-2022-10">incorporate eVTOLs into the airspace network</a>.Airspace is used by everything from helicopters and passenger airliners to private jets and student pilots — meaning everyone has to work together with air-traffic control to safely share the skies.<div type="image" title="Archer Aviation" height="1000" width="1500" msid="110773505" hostid="261" sizebytes="148762"></div>Bernhard said the first couple of years of flying the Midnight would involve a few vehicles on existing and approved aviation routes and that Archer intended to use the same operating procedures that exist for other rotorcraft vehicles.He said opening newly certified pathways and new landing locations would take another few years, but conversations about the logistics of air traffic management would ignite.While the era of air taxis is almost here, Harteveldt said he didn't see eVTOLs littering the skies anytime soon. He said this "Jetsons"-like dream would be limited by safety and noise restrictions, especially since the eVTOLs would be flying at lower altitudes."How do you ensure these aircraft don't intentionally do anything that jeopardizes safety and security in places like Washington, DC, or London or Paris, and many others," he said. "You aren't going to want to have these eVTOLs operating in proximity to some of these places."

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