Analyzing the acceptance of Air Taxis from a potential user perspective : Extending the Technology Acceptance Model towards an Urban Air Mobility Acceptance Model (UAMAM)

Sammanfattning: Background: A continuously growing urban population leads to congested urban areas. As a result, people are wasting time being stuck in traffic. One way of solving this problem is to use the air for moving people. Thus, companies all over the globe are working extensively on approaches for Urban Air Mobility such as air taxis. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is the identification of key determinants influencing the acceptance of air taxis from a potential user perspective. Thereby, the thesis develops the Urban Air Mobility Acceptance Model (UAMAM) as an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Method: An explanatory online survey was conducted to test the hypotheses in the proposed UAMAM. Data from 321 respondents living in cities larger than one million inhabitants representing the potential target group was collected. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS SEM) was used to assess the measurement model in terms of validity and reliability and the structural model in terms of hypotheses testing and strength of relationships between proposed variables. Further, a multigroup analysis has been examined to identify significant differences among groups. Conclusion: The results show that the attitude, which is strongly influenced by the perceived usefulness, as well as subjective norm, travel cost and the personal innovativeness are key determinants affecting the users’ behavioral intention to use air taxis. Further, moderating effects of age on the relation between time saving and behavioral intention as well as on the relation between personal innovativeness and behavioral intention were identified. Additionally, moderating effects of occupational status on the relation between travel cost and behavioral intention were found.