With NASA predicting that urban air-mobility in the US alone could be worth up to $500 billion in the near-term, one significant barrier to market growth has been the lack of infrastructure. But could the unveiling of the worldʼs first ʻpop-upʼ urban airport for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft change all that?
London-based aerospace firm Urban Air Port has been awarded a £1.2 million grant from Innovate UKʼs Future Flight Challenge. The programme was established to develop greener aviation infrastructure and systems that will enable the next generation of electric and autonomous air vehicles.
Set to be launched in Coventry in the UK later this year, the Air-One hub will double as an airport and charging hub for eVTOLs including cargo drones and air taxis. It boasts a physical footprint 60% smaller than that of a traditional heliport and uses a modular construction that enables the site to be installed in a matter of days. It can also be operated completely off-grid and will emit net-zero carbon emissions.
“Cars need roads. Trains need rails. Planes need airports. eVTOLs will need Urban Air Ports,” pointed out Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban Air Port. “Over a hundred years ago, the world’s first commercial flight took off, creating the modern connected world. Urban Air Port will improve connectivity across our cities, boost productivity and help the UK to take the lead in a whole new clean global economy,” he added.
The Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group has already chosen Urban Air Port as its priority infrastructure partner to support growth of this new sector, with plans to commercialise its own eVTOL aircraft by 2028.
Providing an integrated approach to the decarbonisation of cities, Urban Air Port plans to develop more than 200 sites in the next five years to meet global demand. And with funding now secured for Air-One, Urban Air Port is in discussions with investors to support its rapid commercialisation and growth.
“Flying cars used to be a futuristic flight of fancy. Air-One will bring clean urban air transport to the masses and unleash a new airborne world of zero emission mobility,” concluded Sandhu.
Taxi to the future anyone?
Chloë Greenbank
Editor, Regional Gateway
