Rule-Based Departure Sequencing in a Multi-Vertiport Network to Maximize Throughput

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations face critical challenges in achieving efficient traffic flow due to infrastructure constraints and the limitations of conventional first-come, first- served (FCFS) scheduling, which restrict resource utilization in multi-vertiport networks. This study develops a high-fidelity air traffic simulation framework that integrates detailed vertiport architecture, a centralized vertipad reservation registry, eVTOL-specific aircraft performance models, realistic charging protocols, and passenger handling processes to capture the operational complexity of UAM systems. A rule-based departure sequencing strategy is implemented to optimize departure order and reduce cascading bottlenecks that arise under FCFS scheduling. The framework leverages the BlueSky simulation platform to model aircraft movement and ground operations across a notional vertiport network in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Results show that rule-based scheduling consistently outperforms FCFS across network configurations. In a three-vertiport network, the rule- based policy increases total completed flights by 11% and reduces cumulative idle time by 23% over a 12-hour period. In a four-vertiport network, throughput improvements persist, with idle time reduced by 30%, highlighting the scalability of the approach. Faster charging equipment further enhances performance, increasing the throughput advantage of rule-based scheduling in the three-vertiport network from 11% to 14%. These results establish that combining strategic departure sequencing with faster charging directly mitigates vertipad congestion, reduces idle time, and improves overall network throughput in UAM operations.