Set to be the first of many, business leaders from Urban-Air Port and Supernal gathered Monday to open Air-One, the world’s first eVTOL vertiport, in Coventry, United Kingdom.
Urban-Air Port, a U.K.-based ground infrastructure developer, demonstrated the world’s first fully operational eVTOL hub in cooperation with Hyundai Motor Group’s urban air mobility division, Supernal.
Welcome to #AirOne–the world’s first fully operational @UrbanAirPort for electric air vehicles. We’re in Coventry, U.K. with our initial concept vehicle for the grand opening.
— Supernal (@Supernal_aero) April 25, 2022
Follow us for live coverage from the event this week!#AdvancedAirMobility #eVTOL #UrbanAirMobility pic.twitter.com/2dBsXL74Xe
With support from the U.K. government, Air-One will operate for at least one month and will serve as a “blueprint” for more than 200 planned vertiports during the next five years. According to Urban-Air Port, the advanced air mobility (AAM) market is forecasted to grow 9 percent annually, eventually reaching $1 trillion within the next 20 years.
“The opening of Air-One is a momentous moment—the starting gun for a new age of transport, an age of zero-emission, congestion-free travel between and within cities that will make people healthier, happier and more connected than ever before. Cars have roads. Trains have rails. Planes have airports. Now, eVTOLs have an Urban-Air Port,” said Urban-Air Port Founder Ricky Sandhu.
According to Urban-Air Port, multiple international locations are already on the company’s order book for additional sites, such as Australia, South Korea, Germany, and the United States. Supernal is also expected to grow internationally, announcing efforts to bring air taxi services to Miami as soon as 2028.
Air-One will be home to several eVTOL operations, including aircraft command and control, cargo loading for unmanned drones, and demonstration flights. The vertiport will also serve as a charging hub for other modes of electric transportation.
“Air-One serves as a valuable, tangible asset to help build stakeholder confidence and trust in emerging mobility technology and supporting systems,” said Supernal Chief Commercial Officer Mike Whitaker. “The Coventry demonstration is an important first step forward to reimagining how people across the world will move, connect and live.”
“Developing a scalable system to support advanced air mobility operations requires collaboration from all industries and corners of the world. Supernal’s support of Urban-Air Port reinforces our belief in fusing technology and innovation to enable humanity and society to reach new levels of potential.”
Tickets for public tours of the Air-One vertiport are now available at the company’s website.
