Urban-Air Port’s “Air One” Revolutionizes Urban Mobility and Airborne Logistics.
In a pioneering leap toward the future of urban transportation and logistics, Coventry has inaugurated the world’s first urban airport exclusively dedicated to cargo drones and air taxis. This groundbreaking initiative, known as “Air One,” is the brainchild of Urban-Air Port, a company specializing in urban-air mobility infrastructure as a service.
Air One is not just an airport; it’s a visionary project designed to support electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft while fostering sustainable modes of transportation such as electric vehicles (EVs), electric buses, cars, and scooters.
The construction of this futuristic airport, undertaken by Sir Robert Alpine Ltd., includes a state-of-the-art steel frame dome with a remarkable 46-meter diameter, covered by tensile fabric. Besides its striking appearance, Air One encompasses an air taxi passenger lounge, a control office, a logistics area, and a security and disaster management zone.
Fueled by a €1.2 million grant from the UK Research and Innovations Future Flight Challenge, construction is well underway and is expected to conclude by April 2022.
The airport is positioned as a “fully-operational ‘pop-up’ urban airport and charging hub for future electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft.” What makes this concept truly groundbreaking is its modular design, allowing for easy dismantling and relocation to other sites when needed. This adaptability can prove invaluable for disaster management, enabling rapid deployment of drones and eVTOLs for transporting emergency supplies, equipment, and people.
Urban-Air Port envisions a global network of over 200 vertiports in the next five years. These ultra-compact, rapidly deployable hubs will serve as command and control centers for both manned and unmanned vehicles, offering services such as aircraft command and control, charging/refueling, and cargo and passenger loading.
Urban air mobility represents a promising avenue for affordable, rapid, and sustainable travel that can address congestion and environmental concerns. NASA predicts that urban air mobility in the United States alone could be worth up to $500 billion. The primary hurdle to its growth has been the lack of adequate infrastructure, a gap that Urban-Air Port aims to bridge.
Urban-Air Port is actively engaged in discussions with potential investors to further advance this transformative vision of urban mobility and logistics.
The launch of Air One heralds a new era in urban transportation, promising a future where the skies are as accessible as the streets, and sustainable, efficient travel becomes a reality.
Resources:
1.https://theconstructor.org/news/urban-airport/561956/
2.https://bing.com/search?q=UK+World%e2%80%99s+first+urban+airport
3.https://www.urbanairport.com/
4.https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/04/urban-airport-flying-cars-drones/
5.https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/20/air-one-urban-airport-electric-flying-cars-drones/
8.https://www.urbanairport.com/airone