UK start-up Urban-Air Port has announced plans with the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group to develop 65 electric urban-air ports worldwide to meet the growing demand for autonomous airborne drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger vehicles. The partnership aims to establish a global network of urban-air ports and provide the essential infrastructure to unlock clean urban air mobility worldwide.
The urban-air ports will be built across the U.S., UK, EU and Asia Pacific.
The partnership forms a key part of Urban-Air Port’s plan to build 200 sites globally in the next five years.
The world’s first fully operational urban-air port – named Air-One – will be unveiled in Coventry, UK, in early 2022.
Urban-Air Port has also announced a partnership with leading hydrogen fuel cell company, AFC Energy PLC, to provide zero emission off-grid power for future sites.
The system will be deployed at Urban-Air Port’s Air One site in Coventry.
Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port, says: “The sector is soaring and we know that a future with electric flying vehicles and drones in cities is going to be a reality soon. But it can’t happen if we don’t have the infrastructure on the ground and in the air to make it happen. Urban-Air Port will change the way we travel forever – unlocking clean urban air transport for everyone, improving connectivity in congested cities, cutting pollution and boosting productivity.”
Pamela Cohn, Chief Operating Officer and U.S. General Manager for the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group, adds: “Urban Air Mobility will be integral to how we get from A to B this century. Hyundai Motor Group has a bold vision for future mobility and is committed to making the human and technological investments needed to usher in a new era of transport. Urban-Air Port is key to opening up safe, affordable, zero-emission mobility, which will take urban air mobility from science fiction to tangible reality.”
Urban-Air Port’s modular hubs are specifically designed for compact environments, supporting any eVTOL or drone vehicle, and with maintenance and charging able to take place on-site.
