Futuristic transport hub opens in Coventry
'Air-One' could eventually house flying taxis
Last updated 25th Apr 2022
The UK-based developer of ground infrastructure for air taxis and autonomous delivery drones is today opening “Air-One” for demonstrations.
The site, in Coventry city centre, is a world-first demonstration of a fully-operational hub for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles – such as air taxis – and autonomous cargo drones.
The Urban-Air Port – backed by the UK Government and supported by Supernal – will operate Air-One in the heart of Coventry for at least one month.
They're looking to build 200 sites worldwide,
Coventry University’s National Transport Design Centre, part of the research Centre for Future Transport and Cities, has played an important role in shaping Urban-Air Port’s customer journey through cutting edge user-centred design expertise.
Researchers have worked to ensure Air-One’s design is accessible, easy to navigate and a pleasure to use, and Coventry University will continue to collaborate with Urban Air Port to further public understanding and acceptance of the new technology.
Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port, said:
“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.
“From design, through to fabrication and now into operation, Urban-Air Port has delivered Air-One in just 15 months, setting the standard for deployment globally and opening up a world of possibilities for rapid response air mobility. Air-One is just the first model in our infrastructure fleet and our order-book is not only open but already growing. The interest is turning into recognition of the need for our technology and into demand.”
Minister for Aviation, Robert Courts, said:
“British innovation has a rich history of transforming global transportation, from the creation of the railroads in the 1800s, to the growth of great British brands such as Jaguar, Triumph and Rover in the 1950s.
"The opening of Air-One, backed by Government funding, will revolutionise the way people and goods travel across the nation. This step forward puts Britain at the vanguard of clean transport, bringing investment and high-skilled, green job opportunities to the nation, while levelling up opportunity in the Midlands."