Air taxis still have a complex road ahead of them to fly over our rooftops loaded with passengers; but if one day they want to achieve that ambitious goal, they will need something as basic as it is essential: “stops”. Or at least terminals where they can operate. Urban-Air Port has just taken a step in this direction with what, it says, is the first urban airport in the world designed specifically for eVTOL, such as flying taxis and delivery drones.
The infrastructure has been baptized Air-One and has opened its doors as a temporary demonstration in a car park in Coventry, two and a half hours from London. Its objective is basically didactic and seeks, as the company emphasizes, serve as an example. With it, Urban-Air Port wants to make it clear that in the future opening similar spaces in the United Kingdom and other countries would be simple.
The company insists that it has taken just over a year – 15 months, to be precise – to shape and develop the structure, from its planning to its opening its doors this week. For at least a month it will operate in Coverty to show its potential to its neighbors and companies; then – details Financial Times— undertake a tour of other cities.
Objective: cargo, passengers and emergencies
As the Urban-Air Port itself acknowledges, its plans go through assemble 200 airports for eVTOL—vertiports, he calls them— spread over different parts of the planet. For now, he is already looking at the UK, USA, Australia, South Korea, France, Scandinavia and Southeast Asia.
The compact, tent-shaped warehouse has an area of 1,600 square meters and thanks to its prefabricated parts, the company ensures that it has been built in just 11 weeks.
At a structural level, it is divided into areas similar to those of a common airport or bus station: passenger lounge, cafeteria, store, logistics and cargo center, hangar for electric and hydrogen vehicles, security control and command center. For maneuvers, include a raised platform from which the eVTOLs can be propelled with the help of their rotors.
The Urban-Air Port terminal model is designed to operate completely autonomously with the help of a hydrogen fuel cell. Outside it incorporates chargers for electric cars. “The inauguration is the starting signal for a new era of transport, travel without congestion and emissions,” says Ricky Sandhu, head of Urban-Air Port.
Welcome to #AirOne–the world’s first fully operational @UrbanAirPort for electric air vehicles. We’re in Coventry, UK with our initial concept vehicle for the grand opening.
Follow us for live coverage from the event this week!#AdvancedAirMobility #eVTOL #UrbanAirMobility pic.twitter.com/2dBsXL74Xe
— Supernal (@Supernal_aero) April 25, 2022
Check out the view of @UrbanAirPort‘s #AirOne from the sky 👀 #AdvancedAirMobility #UrbanAirMobility #eVTOL pic.twitter.com/rlyIKUOdWu
— Supernal (@Supernal_aero) April 27, 2022
At the beginning of 2022, the Chinese startup AutoFlight, specialized in eVTOL, set up a team in Germany with the intention of expanding in the European market. His goal, he pointed out then, is to be operational already in 2025. In Paris they also want to have a service for the Olympics in two years. To date, manned test flights have been successfully completed, but the certification process for the commercial operation of air taxis is complex.
Another line of business that is also advancing, although with significant challenges, is that of delivery drones, in which Urban-Air Port also has its sights set. Amazon has already invested, for example, more than 2,000 million dollars in Prime Air and other large multinational transport and online commerce companies, such as UPS or Walmart, have shown their interest in this field.
@UrbanAirPort Port has opened its doors to the public! Take a sneak peak below at the world first event that is #AirOne. A showcase of #infrastructure for #advancedairmobilty. Register your place today: https://t.co/dJg5aoYKkK pic.twitter.com/uljbmzpL2t
— Urban Air Port (@UrbanAirPort) April 29, 2022
Waiting for the scenario to clear, Urban-Air Port has already achieved valuable allies, such as the British administration or the Supernal firm, promoted in 2021 by Hyundai Motor with the purpose of promoting “future mobility” and the development of a eVTOL. For the release of Coverty’s Air-One, the manufacturer has in fact provided one of its S-A1 vehicles.
For now, the vertiports designed by Urban-Air Port want to gain a foothold in a sector in which, they say, they have already identified four markets: passenger air taxis, autonomous delivery drones and emergency management or defense logistics.
Cover Image | Urban Air Port
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism