Urban-Air Port and eVTOL aircraft developer Supernal this week are unveiling a fully functional example of what they call a “multimodal infrastructure hub” to support operations by new eVTOL aircraft and drones. The Air-One facility, which has been installed at the heart of the English city of Coventry, will be open to visits by the general public from April 28 through May 15.
The partners intend to move the Air One unit to other cities worldwide as part of an ongoing campaign to increase understanding of advanced air mobility. The 17,000-sq-ft structure, which took 11 weeks to assemble, is divided into zones, including a fully equipped passenger lounge, a café, a pop-up retail store, a cargo logistics hub, aircraft recharging facilities, and a hangar, plus security screening equipment and a command-and-control center for flight operations.
The display in Coventry also features a mockup of the four-passenger SA-1 eVTOL aircraft that Supernal aims to have ready to start commercial services by 2028. The U.S.-based company is a subsidiary of South Korean automaker Hyundai.
Urban-Air Port is a UK-based company specializing in ground, air, and digital infrastructure. “The opening of Air-One is a momentous occasion—the starting gun for a new age of transport, an age of zero-emission, low-congestion travel between and within cities that will make people healthier, happier, and more connected,” said founder and executive chairman Ricky Sandhu. “The Coventry demonstration—delivered in partnership with Supernal—will showcase the future of how people will travel, seamlessly integrating with other modes of transport to create a greener, more connected future.”
Supernal started working with Urban-Air Port in 2020. It also now has partnerships with the U.S. cities of Miami and Los Angeles to develop plans for advanced air mobility services.
“The Air-One activation is an important step for the advanced air mobility industry and demonstrates how eVTOLs can easily integrate with existing transportation networks to address local needs,” said Supernal chief commercial officer Mike Whitaker. “The reality is no single mode of transportation—current or future—can solve cities’ traffic and congestion challenges. Supernal is working with partners like Urban-Air Port to design infrastructure that brings multiple modes of transportation together under one roof and enables AAM to reach its full potential.”
