Moving from Prototype to Commercialisation
AirOne, Coventry City Centre
2 years On
Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the Urban-Air Port Vertiport in Coventry City Centre, UK. A landmark moment in the Advanced Air Mobility industry & one that still holds the clues to a commercially viable & sustainable pathway for eVTOL adoption & integration into towns & cities globally.
Urban-Air Ports’ AirOne Coventry launched on April 25th 2022 with UK Government backing
“In the two years since Urban-Air Port’s world-first demonstration of a fully operational vertiport concept in Coventry, the Advanced Air Mobility industry has made huge steps towards real-world commercial applications.”
Exactly two years ago, on 25 April 2022, we opened the 1st fully-operational vertiport to the World which welcomed 15,000 visitors, operated 150 cargo eVTOL flights, showcased the Supernal (a part of Hyundai Motor Group) passenger eVTOL in an integrated hangar with onsite EV charging powered off-grid by green hydrogen fuel cells.
All this in an Urban Air Mobility text book location: 3 minutes walk from Coventry’s main line railway station, 10 minute walk to the bustling City Centre, adjacent to the City’s major A-roads and set amongst a rich urban fabric where over half a million people work and live.
Our AirOne vertiport brought the public, National & local Government, regulators consumers and industry players together to welcome and celebrate this future mode of green transportation. Behind this industry-first was a comprehensive suite of our production and delivery partners ranging from an expert design, manufacturing and installation team to leading cargo and passenger eVTOL OEMs, green energy providers and carefully selected non-aeronautical partners including Compass Eurest, Nestle, 40 retail brands, & intermodal mobility services via Hyundai Motor Groups’ Genesis and Jaguar Land Rovers’ EV range.
Urban-Air Ports’ AirOne Coventry April 25th 2024 - turning the prototype into a commercially viable product with our turn key service.
“The UK government’s Future Flight Challenge and Future of Flight Industry Group are anticipating operational services within the next 2 years providing faster and cleaner transport for people and goods.
This new commercially-ready concept from Urban-Air Port is a perfect showcase of the opportunities for improved, multi-modal and sustainable transport in towns and cities across the world.
We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with industry to realise the public benefits and industry potential.”
Today, on 25 April 2024, we have come a long way. The past 2 years have seen setbacks in the industry but, more importantly, the 1st eVTOL commercial flight has become closer. Whilst the main focus to date has been the certification of aircraft, the need for appropriate infrastructure is now better understood.
What do cost-effective eVTOL operations look like?
What range of vertiport solutions need to be developed to enable a sustainable network?
How can vertiport operators maximise their revenue beyond landing & charging fees?
We recognise the urgency to plan beyond a Proof of Concept and with a best-in-class team we are focusing on the best model to commercialise eVTOL operations - the key for AAM to become a reality and not just a dream.
In collaboration with our manufacturing and supply chain our AirOne prototype has progressed to our “Next-Gen” AirOne vertiport, a CapEx and OpEx cost-efficient model that maximises additional revenue streams including onsite MRO facilities, overnight storage & charging and non-aero revenue from advertising, retail, F&B, onsite EV charging - providing access to a broader operator choice and reducing the infrastructure pay-back time.
“Two years on from demonstrating the worlds first fully operational Urban-Air Port vertiport in Coventry, Coventry City Council continues to advance developments & our commitment to Urban Air Mobility infrastructure with its partners.
We are proud to support Urban-Air Port and serve as a platform for the future of this transformative industry. We are just getting started!”
Urban-Air Ports Commercially-Ready AirOne Vertiport - 2 stand & hangar configuration
“We have developed the best tool-kit to commercialise eVTOL operations & we are ready to take this industry to the next level.”
