An airplane passenger transport system that includes an airplane and a first passenger module. The first passenger module is removably positionable in the airplane. The first passenger module is adapted to transport at least one person in an at least partially enclosed configuration. The first passenger module includes at least one of a seat and a bed for the at least one person can sit while being transported in the airplane.

An aircraft boarding vehicle to transport passengers between airport gate area and to a front door or a rear door of an airplane positioned on a tarmac of an airport without impeding ground transportation and plane traffic having a passenger platform housing, a chassis or frame to support the passenger platform housing, one or more independent drive hubs affixed to the chassis, the hubs configured to drive in either direction and turn or rotate to enable navigation of the vehicle about the tarmac, a lift system to raise and lower said passenger platform housing to match the height of the airport gate, the door of the airplane, the traverse over wing tips, and a power supply to power the one or more independent drive hubs and the lift system and thus, to speed up the turnaround process during deplaning and boarding procedures.

An aircraft boarding vehicle to transport passengers between airport gate area and to a front door or a rear door of an airplane positioned on a tarmac of an airport without impeding ground transportation and plane traffic having a passenger platform housing, a chassis or frame to support the passenger platform housing, one or more independent drive hubs affixed to the chassis, the hubs configured to drive in either direction and turn or rotate to enable navigation of the vehicle about the tarmac, a lift system to raise and lower said passenger platform housing to match the height of the airport gate, the door of the airplane, the traverse over wing tips, and a power supply to power the one or more independent drive hubs and the lift system and thus, to speed up the turnaround process during deplaning and boarding procedures.

An access device to an aircraft, bus or building. The access device having a loading surface connected to a vehicle, wherein a protective device for passengers is arranged on the loading surface.

In some embodiments, a transportation method includes coupling a flying frame to a passenger pod assembly; lifting the passenger pod assembly into the air in a vertical takeoff and landing mode with the passenger pod assembly in a generally horizontal attitude; transitioning from the vertical takeoff and landing mode to a forward flight mode by rotating the flying frame relative to the passenger pod assembly, which remains in the generally horizontal attitude; transporting the passenger pod assembly toward a second location in the forward flight mode; transitioning the flying frame from the forward flight mode to the vertical takeoff and landing mode by rotating the flying frame relative to the passenger pod assembly, which remains in the generally horizontal attitude; landing the flying frame at the second location in the vertical takeoff and landing mode; and releasing the passenger pod assembly.

An aerial vehicle has a passenger cabin for receiving at least one passenger, a load-bearing structure beneath the cabin, and a propulsion system including a number of propulsion units, which propel the aerial vehicle for powered flight and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The propulsion units are preferably carried by support arms attached to the load-bearing structure and extending upwards therefrom so as to support the propulsion units at a level above the cabin. The aerial vehicle is preferably reconfigurable to a compact configuration after landing, with at least some of the propulsion units overlapping the cabin and/or each other, while still allowing passenger transfer in and out of the vehicle, thereby facilitating efficient use of space for implementing a vertiport.

An aerial vehicle has a passenger cabin for receiving at least one passenger, a load-bearing structure beneath the cabin, and a propulsion system including a number of propulsion units, which propel the aerial vehicle for powered flight and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The propulsion units are preferably carried by support arms attached to the load-bearing structure and extending upwards therefrom so as to support the propulsion units at a level above the cabin. The aerial vehicle is preferably reconfigurable to a compact configuration after landing, with at least some of the propulsion units overlapping the cabin and/or each other, while still allowing passenger transfer in and out of the vehicle, thereby facilitating efficient use of space for implementing a vertiport.

An aerial vehicle has a passenger cabin for receiving at least one passenger, a load-bearing structure beneath the cabin, and a propulsion system including a number of propulsion units, which propel the aerial vehicle for powered flight and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The propulsion units are preferably carried by support arms attached to the load-bearing structure and extending upwards therefrom so as to support the propulsion units at a level above the cabin. The aerial vehicle is preferably reconfigurable to a compact configuration after landing, with at least some of the propulsion units overlapping the cabin and/or each other, while still allowing passenger transfer in and out of the vehicle, thereby facilitating efficient use of space for implementing a vertiport.

An aerial vehicle has a passenger cabin for receiving at least one passenger, a load-bearing structure beneath the cabin, and a propulsion system including a number of propulsion units, which propel the aerial vehicle for powered flight and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The propulsion units are preferably carried by support arms attached to the load-bearing structure and extending upwards therefrom so as to support the propulsion units at a level above the cabin. The aerial vehicle is preferably reconfigurable to a compact configuration after landing, with at least some of the propulsion units overlapping the cabin and/or each other, while still allowing passenger transfer in and out of the vehicle, thereby facilitating efficient use of space for implementing a vertiport.

A gangway for a multi-car vehicle has a bellows attached to an endframe and a crimping element attached to the endframe. The crimping element has a crimping mouth. A part of the bellows is inserted into and held inside the crimping mouth. The crimping mouth is defined by two sidewalls arranged next to each other and joined together at one of their ends by a bottom wall, and not joined together at opposite ends to provide an opening of the crimping mouth. The crimping mouth causes the part of the bellows that is held inside the crimping mouth to be pinched together, and is of a material having spring properties such that one of the side walls can be moved away from the other one of the side walls only by tensioning the side walls against a restoring force provided by the spring properties of the crimping element.