This is the world's first airport for flying taxis
What's the story
Urban-Air Port has set up a demonstration site for its upcoming Air One vertiport—an airport for electric aircraft that land and take off vertically—in Coventry, UK. It will be the world's first such facility for zero-emission air taxis and drones. Cargo drones are already taking off from the vertiport, while flying cars that ferry passengers will be able to use the facility from 2025.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Experts claim that the global market for advanced air mobility might reach $12.4 billion by 2027. As such, the successful setup of such vertiports is necessary for sustainable air mobility and reducing the severe congestion on the roads. Several brands are in a race to commercialize flying taxi services, including Hyundai which wants to achieve the same by 2028.
Technology
The vertiport in Coventry is fully autonomous
The Air One vertiport project in Coventry is spread over 17,000 sqft and will serve as a blueprint for hundreds of similar airports around the world. It has been designed to be fully autonomous and runs on hydrogen fuel cells. South Korean automaker Hyundai has supplied a prototype of its SA-1 air taxi there to demonstrate how the entire process will work.
Mechanism
How do these flying car airports work?
The vertiport in Coventry has a 14-meter-wide launchpad atop a prefabricated dome-shaped building from which vehicles will take off. When a flying car/drone touches down on the landing platform, it will drop down inside a hangar, where it will be recharged so that it can be ready for its next flight. The vertiport will be open to the public throughout summer this year.
Flexibility
Company has planned different vertiports for different locations
The Air One vertiport has a small footprint and can fit in several unique locations. The company's floating vertiport is called "Marine One," while the ones on the ground are called "Terra One" and those atop skyscrapers are known as "Air One." Vertiports offer more flexibility compared to current infrastructure and will ensure faster adoption of green mass air transit for moving people/goods.