New Software Program Helps Entrepreneurs Enter Emerging Air Taxi Market
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| Screenshot of MCATS information |
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- RTI International has released the latest version of a software program designed to help entrepreneurs and professionals in the aviation industry better evaluate the costs associated with starting an "air taxi" service.
The software program, called MCATS (for Monte Carlo Air Taxi Simulation), calculates the operating costs, potential revenue and profit margins of operating an air taxi service anywhere in the continental United States.
"I was exposed to MCATS during the Small Aircraft Transportation System program and was very impressed," said Jack Olcott, president, General Aero Company and former NBAA president. "MCATS is a very effective system that should be considered by anyone looking at the air taxi market."
Air taxi services are increasingly entering the marketplace as new technology allows for more cost-efficient small aircraft to provide reliable service in nearly all weather and navigation conditions.
Air taxis offer on-demand, point-to-point air transportation that allows passengers to bypass the delays and difficulties of major airports. Officials expect the use of air taxi services to expand as the cost of operating such services continues to decrease.
"This is an emerging market with significant growth potential," said Michael Heck, Ph.D., director of the Center for Aerospace Technology at RTI. "The computer program helps potential business owners and investors find market opportunities in their areas and make better business decisions concerning air taxi service operations."
The WindowsTM–based MCATS software allows users to project best- and worst-case outcomes of service performance, account for many of the variables involved in air travel (including weather patterns and potential maintenance problems), and simulate business scenarios using existing and future aircraft such as very light jets (VLJs), a new class of private jet weighing less than 10,000 pounds.
"It is my hope that MCATS will help potential or emerging air taxi service providers get the extra leverage they need to be successful and help drive this promising mode of travel," said Jason Brindel, MCATS project director at RTI.
Established service providers, aircraft manufacturers, researchers and government agencies use the MCATS software to develop air taxi networks, optimize flight operations and conduct transportation systems research and analysis.
NASA's Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) program has used the MCATS software extensively to evaluate the costs and potential benefits of new technologies for the aviation community.
During the past two years, the MCATS software has been showcased at a variety of venues including the Oshkosh air show, the National Business Aviation Association convention and NASA's SATS 2005 Demonstration in Danville, Va.
More information about MCATS can be obtained at www.rti.org/mcats/, including an overview, user's guide, screenshots and narrated video walk-through of the MCATS software.
Chris Sanders
919-248-1825
csanders@rti.org
news@rti.org
Lisa Bistreich: 919-316-3596
Patrick Gibbons: 919-541-6136
PO Box 12194
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194
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