Exploring key factors influencing urban air transport Acceptance: A trust and Risk-Embedded UTAUT2 framework

• Developed a UTAUT2-based framework including trust and perceived risk. • Identified key UAT acceptance factors: performance expectancy, risk, and trust. • Addressed the gap in acceptance models on the trust-risk dynamic. Urban Air Transportation (UAT) provides a promising remedy for urban congestion, improving travel efficiency and mitigating environmental effects. This research expands the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) by integrating trust (TR) and perceived risk (PR) to identify both facilitating and obstructive elements in UAT acceptance. Survey data from 184 respondents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that performance expectancy (PE) is the most significant positive predictor of usage intention (UI), succeeded by effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), and price value (PV). Conversely, hedonic motivation (HM) is non-significant, highlighting the utilitarian essence of UAT. PR significantly diminishes UI both directly and indirectly by undermining TR, which partially mediates the PR–UI relationship. Some useful tips are to put functional design first, spend money on safety certifications and privacy protections, use social influence, and improve pricing strategies. Policy implications underscore the necessity of standardizing safety and privacy metrics while promoting international collaboration to cultivate social consensus. This research enhances transportation psychology by substantiating the mediating function of trust in the PR–UI relationship and providing a comprehensive framework that considers both facilitators and barriers to adoption.