Munich Airport International (MAI) has announced a new partnership with Urban-Air Port to develop eVTOL ground infrastructure and airport operations that facilitate the vertical take-off and landing of electric air taxis. The partners aim to provide a roadmap for efficient and sustainable flight operations.
Urban-Air Port is currently deploying its Air One programme – a fully operational and integrated airport for drones and eVTOL that interlinks air mobility with ground transportation in a multimodal hub. Air One will be located in a downtown setting and first be presented to the industry and the general public in Coventry, United Kingdom in spring 2022. The goal is to demonstrate an ultra-compact, rapidly deployable, multi-functional operations hub for manned and unmanned vehicles providing aircraft command and control, charging and refuelling, cargo and passenger loading and other associated services.
The new partnership will see MAI bring both its aviation and non-aviation expertise to the planning, development and operation of Air One, creating critical synergies for the successful introduction and operation of urban-air ports.
“The aviation industry is constantly evolving. While Urban Air Mobility was a vague vision just a few years ago, this trend is within reach today. We as Munich Airport International see great potential in this new mode of transportation and have developed an advanced air mobility programme to actively shape the future,” states Dr. Ralf Gaffal, MAI’s Managing Director. “Partnering with Urban-Air Port allows us to join forces in designing, implementing and operating scalable and sustainable urban-air ports around the world.”
In addition to the Air One programme, both parties will collaborate on longer term projects and opportunities, with an initial focus on use cases and markets which are expected to emerge in the next couple of years.
Ricky Sandhu, Founder & Executive Chairman at Urban-Air Port, added: “Urban-Air Port is not only working with the world’s leading developers of eVTOLs, but also developing the full ecosystem to enable air mobility to take flight by building strategic partnerships with major mobility and industry partners across the world. This collaboration with Munich Airport International, the ‘5-Star Standard’ in airport operations allows us to jointly develop our expertise in airport development and operations. Moreover, we can lay the foundations for a globally integrated urban air transport network. Together, we strive to play a major role in shaping the future of urban air mobility and to equip and adapt the aviation industry to meet the needs of the coming decades.”
The announcement comes a month after Urban-Air Port and Hyundai announced plans to build 65 urban-air ports worldwide to meet predicted demand for drones and electric air taxis.
The urban air mobility (UAM) market is projected to grow from $2.6 billion in 2020 to $9.1 billion by 2030. Just this year, investment in the industry has skyrocketed with $4.7 billion announced for the development of eVTOL vehicles. Recent technological advancements and the need for more affordable, rapid and sustainable travel are driving this trend forward. FTE recently looked into the state of the UAM industry, some of the most recent developments, and the opportunities and challenges facing the aviation industry. Read the full story here.
