SESAR - Single European Sky ATM Research
SESAR - Single European Sky ATM Research
08/15/2025 | News release | Archived content
PRIAM: Joining the dots to enhance regional transport
PRIAM uses artificial intelligence tools to enable innovative air mobility services, seamlessly linking remote regions to the heart of multimodal transport networks.
Current innovative air mobility (IAM) opportunities - such as large drones known as 'electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles' (eVTOLs) - promise more efficient, sustainable and accessible air transportation.
"eVTOLs can overcome geographical barriers, better connecting regional populations when rail or roads are not viable," says Lucía Menéndez-Pidal, aviation engineer at project host Nommon and technical coordinator of PRIAM. Yet questions remain about wider coordination with other transport modes, alongside meeting passenger demand and expectations.
Consequently, the SESAR JU -funded PRIAM project is helping to build a more ambitious, passenger-centric, transport system linking European rural and urban hubs, powered by a suite of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
PRIAM built a virtual representation of Europe's current regional transport network (known as a digital twin), augmented by data analytics and AI modelling. This enables the team to conduct scenario simulations before real-world deployment.
The team's analysis of mobile network data using machine learning offers a deeper understanding of passenger mobility patterns (journeys, transportation modes, frequency and so on). Combined with survey data, PRIAM can estimate likely
IAM adoption levels. Optimisation techniques will suggest the best locations for vertiports, alongside how best to integrate IAM services within current multimodal transport networks.
Towards a passenger-centric transport system
Two case studies will validate PRIAM's tools and algorithms. One will be performed in the La Gomera-Tenerife region ofSpain's Canary Islands, a mountainousregion reliant on ferry transport, while the other will be run in the Catalan Pyrenees, another sparsely populated mountainous region that is a hotspot for tourism.
"Our AI-enabled solution will help extend new transport opportunities to more isolated populations, improving quality of life and benefiting local economies," adds Menéndez- Pidal.
Alongside an impact assessment framework, building upon work carried out by sister SESAR projects such as TRANSIT, MultiModX and MUSE, PRIAM will develop a digital toolset to support IAM implementation, complemented by deployment recommendations.
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