South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group announced they would participate in the construction of Air-One in the UK. Air-One is the world’s first fully-operational, urban air mobility (UAM) hub for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. In partnership with Urban-Air Port, Hyundai will set up the autonomous, zero-emission infrastructure for cargo drones and air taxis. Urban-Air Port is a solutions provider for future air mobility.
“Air-One will bring clean urban air transport to the masses and unleash a new airborne world of zero-emission mobility.”
-Ricky Sandhu, Urban-Air Port’s founder and chairman.
Last week, the UK government approved Hyundai Motor and Urban-Air Port’s construction plans for the Air-One hub. Due to the Future Flight Challenge, Hyundai Motor received a 1.83 billion won (£1.2 million) grant from the UK Research and Innovation. The grant will back the development of the first eVTOL aircraft port and support the expansion of the UAM ecosystem.
Aside from being easy to install, Air-One will reduce air pollution and provide sustainable, decarbonized public transport. The Air-One port supports passenger and cargo transportation, as well as autonomous drone deliveries. Developers also equipped the port with transferring facilities of goods and passengers to other eco-friendly modes of transportation. By 2028, Hyundai Motor is targeting to commercialize the Air-One mobility hub for air taxis, delivery drones, and logistics. In line with the growing UAM market, Hyundai Motor will also release the Cargo Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) by 2026.
“As we advance our eVTOL aircraft program, development of supporting infrastructure is imperative. Air-One is a unique project that is set to help lead the way in developing a robust, accessible, and intermodal infrastructure network for future mobility,” said Pamela Cohn, an official of Hyundai Motor Group’s Urban Air Mobility Division.
Launch of Air-One
“We are excited to be part of this partnership in the UK, and look forward to working together to create community impact and opportunity through safe, affordable, and human-centered mobility solutions,” continued Cohn.
Urban-Air Port chose UK’s Coventry as the launch site, where the companies will introduce Air-One this year. They would be conducting live demonstrations of manned and unmanned eVTOL aircraft operations. The companies would showcase the technologies to three key markets: air taxi services, autonomous logistics, and emergency management. Additionally, Hyundai collaborated with Urban-Air Port last year to jointly develop prototypes for all-electric air transportation systems.
