ÖPSV: The Rhine-Neckar Region Develops a New Approach to Needs-Based Regional Air Travel
On August 20, 2026, the ÖPSV initiative—Public Rapid Transit—was unveiled
The goal is to consolidate flight demand from the Rhine-Neckar region and use it to develop flexible connections to regional and national destinations.
ÖPSV – Public Rapid Transit is an initiative aimed at developing a demand-based regional air travel model centered on Mannheim. The planned cooperative is intended to bring together individuals, businesses, municipalities, associations, and other partners to organize regional air service in a flexible, cost-effective, and—in the long term—more sustainable manner.
The concept takes advantage of regional airports: short travel distances, fast check-in, and smaller aircraft that can be flexibly adapted to demand. Potential destinations mentioned included Berlin, Hamburg, London, Chemnitz, Dresden, Bremen, Munich, and Bern, as well as other destinations within the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. A partnership with airports in Egelsbach, Speyer, Worms, Mosbach, and Walldürn is also being explored.
