Societal acceptance of advanced aerial mobility in China’s Greater Bay Area among young- and middle-aged adults

• Tests an extended model for AAM acceptance in Greater Bay Area, China. • Combines TAM and TPB constructs with trust to explain AAM usage intention. • Multigroup analyses show different effects across age and gender groups. • Perceived usefulness significantly influences young adults’ AAM acceptance. • Perceived behavioural control significantly influences men’s AAM acceptance. In an era of rapid urbanisation and technological innovation, Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) – an innovative transport mode utilising electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft – has evoked debates about its the potential to address various urban transportation challenges. This study examines the societal acceptance of AAM in China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA), a region grappling with air pollution, traffic congestion, and cross-border mobility issues. By synthesising the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), we propose an extended model that incorporates trust as a crucial construct. The proposed model was tested with a survey of 988 young- to middle-aged GBA residents, and structural equation modelling results confirmed the model’s validity, explaining 61% of the variance in AAM usage intention. In the proposed model, all TPB and TAM factors are significant, while trust emerged as the most significant factor in explaining the acceptance of AAM. Multigroup analyses offered further insights: perceived usefulness and subjective norms significantly influence young adults’ intentions, while perceived behavioural control plays a pivotal role in shaping men’s inclination towards AAM adoption. These findings not only contribute to the theoretical understanding of technology acceptance but also offer valuable practical implications for informing the design, implementation, and regulation of AAM development in the GBA and beyond. By illuminating the factors driving AAM acceptance, this study paves the way for reimagining the future of urban mobility.