Creator of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft drones and vertiports, Urban-Air Port, has launched construction of what is expected to be its first fully operational next-generation airlift facility in the UK.
Urban-Air Port based in London announcement On Thursday he had started work on the new eVTOL and drone vertiport in the city of Coventry in the West Midlands. The facility isn’t the company’s first vertiport in the UK, or even in Coventry. Last year, it assembled and opened a UAV delivery center that functioned as a public education showcase demonstrating how various small and advanced air mobility services (AAM) will fit into everyday life. Although it is still unclear whether this initial unit will eventually move into full operation, the launch of the new structure has been hailed as setting the stage for the future of urban freight and passenger transport.
“We are excited to work with our partners at Urban-Air Port to showcase this revolutionary system which, in the near future, could help increase the productivity of our cities and support efforts to combat climate change by removing traffic vehicles.” said Jim O’Boyle, a Coventry official overseeing job creation, regeneration and climate change. “This is yet another way Coventry is leading the way in innovation in transport. We are at the forefront of the green industrial revolution and this is a brilliant world first.
Selecting a mid-size UK town in the middle of the country might seem like an odd choice to assemble the first operational eVTOL vertiport. But Urban-Air Port, which supports government departments and partner companies like Hyundai, says it makes perfect sense.
The hub’s location in a city of 400,000 people and close to rail and intermodal transport links is considered ideal for testing new drone and AAM services. Coventry is also close enough to London to the south and major northern cities such as Manchester and Liverpool, to allow mid-range intra-city eVTOL flights. The company is also working with West Midlands Police to build a network of small vertiports for its 46 drone pilots who flew 3,450 missions last year.
Last month, Urban-Air Port announced plans to build 200 vertiports for air taxis and eVTOL cargo ships in 65 international cities, and prepare for the imminent launch of these and other AAM services. He will be supported in this push by Hyundai’s AAM division, Supernal
The company currently has structural models designed for installation on rooftops, along waterways and in grounds. It also has a hyper-urban City Box version in development. Its modular Air One vertiport is set to open on April 25 in Coventry city center and begin to await the launch of eVTOL air taxi and other services.
“We are absolutely delighted to have Urban-Air Port’s Air One on site – it marks a unique and transformative moment as the UK positions itself as the world leader in advanced air mobility,” said Ricky Sandhu , Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port. “Our technology will enable Coventry and other cities across the country and around the world to decarbonise by enabling the safe adoption of cleaner mobility solutions. We are grateful to our partners, investors and the UK government for embracing our vision and now making advanced air mobility a viable and sustainable reality.
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