UK Government Backs The First Electric Urban Air Port In The World

A "Pop-up" airport and charging hub for future electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, including air taxis and autonomous delivery drones has received backing from the UK government. eVTOL aircraft are expected to be widely used in the future for transporting people and cargo across cities. The new pop up airport is a partnership between Hyundai Motor Group, Coventry City Council, and the UK government.

The new site is known as Air One and is meant to demonstrate the potential for urban air mobility for the UK and worldwide. According to its supporters, Urban Air Port will reduce congestion, reduce air pollution, and help the UK achieve a zero-carbon future. The location could also be integrated with electric vehicles and sustainable public transport.

The intention is to install more than 200 zero-emission sites globally over the next five years in response to an expected increase in demand. The facility will help develop fully autonomous and innovative zero-emission infrastructure for air mobility of the future. NASA has predicted that urban-air mobility in the US could be an industry worth $500 billion in near-term sales.

However, a significant barrier to that market growth is the lack of infrastructure. That lack of infrastructure is what the Urban Air Port wants to resolve. Urban Air Port is the priority infrastructure partner chosen by the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai plans to create its eVTOL aircraft and support a broader urban air mobility ecosystem in the future.

Hyundai supports the development of Air-One as part of its plan to commercialize its autonomous aircraft by 2028. Hyundai says that it is looking forward to working together with the other companies to create community impact and opportunity using safe, affordable, and human-centered mobility solutions. It also notes that an Urban Air Port's physical footprint is 60 percent smaller than a traditional heliport.