British startup Urban-Air Port (UAP) has announced plans to open 200 flying taxi and cargo drone hubs in 65 cities globally over the next five years. The announcement comes following a significant investment from Supernal, a division of Hyundai Motor Group, to deliver on the company’s shared vision of integrating advanced air mobility (AAM) into existing transit networks and creating a seamless passenger journey.
UAP’s vertiport sites will provide essential infrastructure to help enable mass adoption of eVTOL aircraft – such as cargo drones and air taxis – as public acceptance grows and will transform the way goods and people are transported around urban areas. The world’s first fully operational hub for eVTOLs, Air-One, will open for public visitation in Coventry City Centre in April.
The demonstration will show how AAM can help unlock the potential of sustainable mobility and how the industry will work to help reduce congestion, cut air pollution and decarbonize transport.
With the urban air mobility market forecasted to reach $12.7 billion by 2027 and up to $1 trillion in the next 20 years, such projects will prove crucial in helping companies keep their flying taxis in the skies.
Supernal is both convening public and private stakeholders to responsibly shape the AAM industry and developing its own eVTOL and plans to launch its first commercial flight in 2028. The company’s investment in the startup will help support the development of UAP’s new “vertiport” models, including the City Box delivery drone hub.
“Cars need roads. Trains need rails. Planes need airports. eVTOLs need Urban-Air Ports,” said Ricky Sandhu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Urban-Air Port. “Despite the unparalleled potential of eVTOL aircraft to revolutionize mobility, the importance of the ground infrastructure that enables them is too often overlooked. With Supernal’s investment and expertise and connection to Hyundai Motor Group, we can supercharge the rollout of sustainable, intermodal, and scalable ground infrastructure that will unleash the future of advanced air mobility globally.”
