United Kingdom hosts "world's first" hub for drones, future flying taxis

A six-bottle pack of prosecco was carried on the first drone flight from the Coventry vertiport. Image Credit

Techexplore: A pop-up urban port for delivery drones—and, one day, flying taxi services in the United Kingdom on Monday, lifting a box of prosecco for a pioneering celebratory test flight.

Proponents hailed Air-One as the first of its type, ushering in a new era of low-emission futuristic air transportation. Air-One is a so-called "vertiport" for drones and future electric vehicles taking off and landing vertically.

The property will be used for a month-long demonstration of the expanding industry in Coventry, a former car manufacturing powerhouse in central England.

The six-bottle crate of sparkling wine, weighing roughly 12 kilograms, was symbolically lifted from the launch pad during the initial flight.

According to Ricky Sandhu, founder and executive chairman of Urban-Air Port, the British corporation behind the vertiport endeavor, the commercial drone used—Malloy Aeronautics' T150, on loan from its day job performing logistics for the British military—is the largest ever to operate in such an urban area.

"You're standing in the world's first fully operational vertiport," he told the crowd of hundreds, which included the start-25 up's employees and government backers.

The company behind the plan hopes to adapt it for vertical lift-off flights in the future. Image Credit

"Of course, this is a new industry," Sandhu continued, "but it's now starting to pick up momentum." "We're all acclimated to change... but we usually underestimate the velocity of change, and things are moving at a breakneck pace."

'Eco-system'

Urban-Air Port has spent the last year preparing for its Coventry display, which will showcase ground infrastructure for autonomous delivery drones and air taxis expected later this decade.

The temporary Air-One installation near the city's railway station aims to prove how an integrated hub for the devices can operate in a congested urban context, as well as how it can act as a mini-airport for future vertical lift-off travel.

In the coming months, it plans to hold similar demonstrations in the other UK and international locations, with a goal of having over 200 such locations throughout the world.

They're easy to set up and take down and they employ on-site hydrogen fuel cells for "zero-emission generating," according to the manufacturer.

The company claims to have received orders worth £65 million, with projects in the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Scandinavia, and Southeast Asia in the works.

Supernal, one of its partners, is working on an autonomous flying electric vehicle that will transport passengers. Image Credit

One of its partners is Supernal, a US affiliate of South Korean automaker Hyundai which is developing an autonomous flying electric vehicle idea that will transport passengers.

Michael Whitaker, the company's chief commercial officer, told AFP, "We're focusing on building up the ecosystem to allow this new technology to grow."

"Without vertiports and landing strips, it won't be a company."

Before going into full production, Supernal wants to get its all-electric, eight-rotor concept vehicle, which is on show at Air-One, certified by 2024.

"You'll see some operations this decade," Whitaker said, "but I believe the 2030s will be the decade of advanced air mobility, and you'll really start to see this become more prevalent from that point on."

Those who answer first.

Urban-Air Port was one of 48 projects sponsored by the UK government's £300 million "future flight challenge," which combines money with promising technologies pushing the shift to greener transportation.

The idea has attracted the curiosity of first responders, including the police. Image Credit

The company focuses that their vertiports might be used by local governments, including emergency responders, logistics providers, and even the military.

On Monday, some of West Midlands Police's dozen drones were launched from Air-One, the UK's second-largest force, which is responsible for Coventry and the surrounding region.

Inspector Mark Colwell, the department's lead officer for drones, said the number of drones used has climbed "dramatically" from one in 2017 to the 12 currently being flown by a team of 50 highly trained officers.

He explained that they are regularly launched from patrol cars for a number of functions, including searches and crowd control, and that existing regulations require them to maintain a line of sight with the drone.

Ricky Sandhu, the founder and executive chairman of Urban-Air Port, stated that the industry was taking off. Image Credit

However, Colwell anticipates rule changes as the industry evolves and welcomes advancements such as vertiports.

"I think it'd be quite beneficial," he remarked before displaying his force's largest drone, which costs £20,000 to build.

"This type of facility... might benefit not just the police, but also the fire department, the ambulance service, and the municipal government."