Air-One to open to the public tomorrow
We bring an end to our coverage of a momentous three days for the urban air mobility industry in Coventry, with Air-One now preparing to open to the public tomorrow.
We are told that public tickets have gone like hotcakes for an event which will run from 28 April to 15 May. Between 800 and 1,000 people are expected each day.
Thanks for following our live feed. Stay tuned to The Moodie Davitt Report for reactions from senior UAP executives and brand partners in the coming days.
Official drone flight images from Air-One
We have just received these images from Urban-Air Port, showing some of the activity involving drones this week. Several brands represented at Air-One have seen their products fly on drones including Anatomie, Paul&Shark, Henkell Freixenet and Bottega.
Supernal to start flight testing in 2023
A large delegation from Supernal, the Hyundai urban air mobility division, is at Air-One this week to meet with Urban-Air Port partners and get a first hand view of the world-first fully-operational hub for air taxis and drones.
Also here of course is the Supernal SA-1 air taxi (pictured inside Air-One below). Supernal plans to have a full-scale prototype ready to start test flights in 2023, with the company targeting type certification in 2028.
The four-seat aircraft will initially be piloted, but might subsequently fly autonomously. At this point passenger capacity could increase to six.
The all-electric S-A1 is expected to be able to fly up to around 60 miles (100 km) at speeds of up to 180 mph (290 km/h) while cruising at between 1,000 and 2,000 feet.
Key Urban-Air Port partners stage panel discussion
A very interesting panel discussion on the future of advanced air mobility has just taken place in the Air-One lounge.
Pictured left to right are Supernal City Partnerships Lead Adrienne Lindgren; SMG Consulting Partner Sergio Cecutta; Munich Airport International Business Development Manager Sebastian Selmeier; Urban-Air Port Founder & Chairman Ricky Sandhu; and Supernal Global Head of Partnerships & Business Development Adam Slepian.
Travel retail stakeholders check out Air-One
Some familiar faces from the travel retail community have come to learn about the possibilities of the advanced air mobility industry at Air-One today.
The Moodie Davitt Report chatted with Heathrow Retail & Property Director Fraser Brown, WHSmith Travel Business Development Director Spencer Sheen, Duty Free Global Founder Barry Geoghegan and Travel Retail Consultant John Kilmartin.
Pictured below left to right are Barry Geoghegan, Anatomie CEO Kate Boyer, John Kilmartin and Paul&Shark Global Travel Retail Director Silvia Santin.
The world’s strongest advanced air mobility ecosystem
That is the claim made by Urban-Air Port on a board displaying the companies it is working with to drive the advanced air mobility industry in the UK and beyond. Many of these partners have been represented here in the last three days.
West Midlands Police displays drone capabilities
The West Midlands Police are here at Air-One for duration of the opening event period, which runs to 15 May.
We have just been given a demonstration by the police of how drones are used in the Coventry area. We saw a police drone take off and then followed its progress around Coventry City Centre on a screen above the Urban-Air Café.
The drones serve many purposes for the police including monitoring traffic situations, football matches, tracking criminals, spotting illegal raves and even finding people suffering from Alzheimer’s who have gone missing.
Much of this technology is paid for with funds seized from the proceeds of crime.
Paul&Shark takes drone flight
Italian fashion house Paul&Shark is the latest brand to see its products fly from Air-One in a drone. In the pictures we can see a Paul&Shark Typhoon jacket attached to the drone.
We then see the drone raised on a half section of the aircraft carrier before its takes off carrying the package. Finally, we see it return to base. The sequence is shown in the images below.
Urban-Air Port partner Supernal visits Air-One
Great photo here showing staff from UAP and its eVTOL development partner, Supernal, whose air taxi model Supernal SA-1 is on display here.
In the picture we see reputedly the world’s largest onshore aircraft carrier and the SA-1 air taxi.
DAY THREE
We’re back on day three of the Air-One launch, the last day of our visit to the world-first operational hub for electric flying taxis and drones.
We will bring you more images of the main events here, plus the thoughts of key Urban-Air Port (UAP) stakeholders and the brands that have supported Air-One.
The duo driving retail and F&B for Urban-Air Port
The Moodie Davitt Report sat down this afternoon with the two travel retail experts entrusted by Urban-Air Port to drive its commercial offer. Very interesting chat with UAP Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter (left) and Chief Hospitality Officer Nick Goddard-Palmer (right) about the importance of non-aeronautical revenue for the long-term growth of Urban-Air Port.
How do you sell a concept which might not make brands any money for a long time? Find out how the duo think they can achieve this by reading a full account of this fascinating discussion, which will follow on Moodie Davitt Report channels.
Man of the moment speaks to The Moodie Davitt Report
He’s been understandably in demand from the international media and visitors to Air-One these past two days, but The Moodie Davitt Report just got some time with Urban-Air Port Founder & Chairman Ricky Sandhu (pictured with our Senior Business Editor Mark Lane below).
In his interview, Sandhu was quick to share the credit with his team for the amazing achievement of opening Air-One from design to operation in just 11 months.
We asked him what’s next for UAP, his plans for the US market, about his relationships with the big electric aircraft developers and much more. A full report follows.
Anatomie luggage takes flight
We’ve seen several drones take flight from the Air-One world-largest onshore aircraft carrier today carrying packages, including this one from fashion brand Anatomie. Attached to the drone are three Anatomie packing cubes, each containing an Anatomie wardrobe including two pairs of trousers, two tops and one jacket.
“There is enough clothing to last two weeks in those three small cubes,” Anatomie CEO Kate Boyer told The Moodie Davitt Report, whose clothing is specifically designed to fit into small spaces. “It demonstrates that delivery of luggage to your destination via drone before you arrive is now possible. It moves luggage with a zero carbon footprint.”
Others brands to see their products fly by drone from Air-One include Bottega and Henkell Freixenet. Products from Paul&Shark will fly tomorrow.
Urban-Air Port sustainability panel
A sustainability panel hosted by TRBusiness Editorial Director Charlotte Turner is underway in the Urban-Air Port lounge. Pictured below is Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter introducing the panel.
Urban-Air Port brand partner Nestlé, represented by Head of Sustainability Emma Keller (pictured below centre), is among the speakers. She explained that her company and Urban-Air Port have closely aligned sustainability goals, highlighting some of the carbon footprint reducing initiatives currently being undertaken by Nestlé.
Paul&Shark and Urban-Air Port partnership
The Moodie Davitt Report Senior Business Editor Mark Lane is pictured with Paul&Shark Worldwide Travel Retail Director Silvia Santin, whose brand was among the very first to declare their support for UAP.
We chatted with Silvia about why UAP is so well aligned with her famous Italian fashion brand. More of this on the live feed later.
Urban-Air Port announces new investment
UAP has shared news of its latest series A investment from the founding directors of M7 Real Estate, a major European urban logistics provider.
The investment, according to UAP, is a signal of how important its infrastructure will be to help cities around the world tackle urban logistics growth without creating more strain on already stretched transport links. It will also help in reaching zero carbon targets.
In conjunction with this announcement UAP is releasing an exclusive preview of its latest model for logistics, called Docks Box.
Docks Box is a specialist solution designed to seamlessly integrate with existing logistics networks to add urban air mobility to the supply chain through the addition of logistics drones.
Travel retail associations check out Air-One
Among the visitors on day one were the Tax Free World Association President Erik Juul-Mortensen and Duty Free World Council President Sarah Branquinho, who discussed urban air mobility opportunities for brands with UAP Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter.
Sarah Branquinho said: “The demonstration was incredibly helpful in understanding what this (almost unbelievable) ‘brave new world’ might offer – air corridors for people and freight traffic moving alongside motorways and railway lines.
“I was thinking we might see that in 20 years’ time, but it seems it’s going to be much earlier than that. In future will we may look back and say ‘I was there at the launch’.”
DAY TWO
Hello from Air-One in Coventry, as we bring you more coverage of the world’s first fully-operational hub for electric air taxis and drones. Today, we will bring you more images from the opening day and get the reactions of Urban-Air Port senior management, as well as comment from the travel retail brands associated with them.
Below is the first aerial image we have seen of Air-One, situated in the centre of Coventry in the Westminster Road Car Park.
Stay tuned for day two coverage, where we will be bringing you the views of Urban-Air Port executives including Founder & Chairman Ricky Sandhu, CFO Adrian Zanelli, Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter and Chief Hospitality Officer Nick Goddard-Palmer.
We will also bring you more images of the main events from the first day.
10.30pm Urban-Air Port announces new investor
Late night news has reached The Moodie Davitt Report of a new investor in Urban-Air Port. Dymond Group, the Canada-based aerospace, logistics, cybersecurity, and risk management services company, has committed a “significant investment” into UAP.
The customer is ordering two of UAP’s Air-One vertiports for deployment in Canada. Dymond’s Founder and CEO Carl Dymond will join the UAP Board of Directors alongside UAP founder Ricky Sandhu, and Adam Slepian, Global Head of Partnerships at Hyundai’s Supernal.
UAP noted that the new investment will help accelerate the development of a global zero-emission mobility ecosystem.
This funding builds upon a previous seed investment from Supernal to UAP in 2021.
Urban-Air Port brand supporters talk to The Moodie Davitt Report
Several early Urban-Air Port brand supporters sat down with Moodie Davitt Report Senior Business Editor Mark Lane to discuss why they see the urban air mobility industry as a great fit for their brands.
They included Rituals Global Travel Retail Director Melvin Broekaart (pictured above left), Anatomie CEO Kate Boyer and Henkell Freixenet Area Manager – Wine & Global Travel Retail Christian Witte (pictured below right), all travelling from overseas to be at the event. Full story to follow.
1.45pm – The big reveal of Supernal SA-1
There was an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Air-One as the Supernal SA-1 air taxi was revealed, drawing loud applause from the VIP guests.
1.20pm – LG Electronics plays key role in digital at Air-One
LG Electronics is on board as an Urban-Air Port retail partner and is also supplying the screens which digitally promote the offer of brands associated with UAP. Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter is pictured here in discussion with LG’s Enterprise Sales Manager – Mobility & Energy Seamus Walsh.
1.00pm – UAP Founder & Chairman Ricky Sandhu addresses the audience
A packed Air-One lounge heard about the Urban-Air Port journey from Founder & Chairman Ricky Sandhu. He paid tribute to all of his colleagues, calling them up individually to explain how they have contributed in the build-up to launching Air One and the role they will play in expansion.
12.55pm – The Urban-Air Choice app
The Urban-Air Choice app is central to UAP’s plans to generate non-aeronautical revenue. UAP Chief Hospitality Officer Nick Goddard-Palmer is seen here explaining its finer points to a delegate at the Air-One launch. The app will include retail, F&B and air taxi booking elements, among other functions.
12.45pm – Anatomie creates garment for Air-One launch
The Moodie Davitt Report Senior Business Editor Mark Lane is pictured with Anatomie CEO Kate Boyer, whose brand was among the very first to declare their support for UAP.
They are pictured in bomber jackets with UAP and Air-One details plus the Union Jack created especially for the event by Anatomie, a brand which has become synonymous with travel.
12.30pm – A tour of the Air-One vertiport
The Moodie Davitt Report has just completed a tour of Air-One in the company of Urban-Air Port CFO Adrian Zanelli. We were given fascinating insights into the technology behind flying air taxis and drones and got to see the amazing Supernal SA-1 close up (pictured below). Some US$1.5 billion is being invested in this model – it looks considerably larger in the flesh than it did in the images we have seen.
11.15am – Brand networking at Air-One
Two senior executives from brands backing Urban-Air Port chatting at the Air-One opening today. Anatomie CEO Kate Boyer discusses urban air mobility opportunities with Rituals Global Travel Retail Director Melvin Broekaart.
10.30am – The Supernal SA-1 air taxi at Air-One
Urban-Air Port Founder & Chairman Ricky Sandhu with the Supernal SA-1 air taxi, which has been transported to the UK by the Hyundai urban air mobility division. More on this exciting new aircraft, which is due to commence commercial operations in 2028, follows. (Image credit: Lucy Ray/PA Wire)
10.10am – The team behind Air-One
Below is the pioneering Urban-Air Port staff who have been hard at work preparing for opening day at Air-One.
Nicholas Goddard-Palmer (left) and Keith Hunter (third left) are well known in travel retail circles and have been brought on board by Ricky Sandhu (fifth from left) to spearhead retail and F&B aspects of the vertiport offer. The trio will be talking to The Moodie Davitt Report about their commercial plans during the course of the Air-One event this week. (Image credit: Lucy Ray/PA Wire)
10.00am – The world’s largest onshore aircraft carrier
Pictured below is a close up of what Urban-Air Port claims to be the world’s largest onshore aircraft carrier. We will see various types of drones take off from here later today.
9.45am – First sight of the Urban-Air Café
Here is the Urban-Air Café inside the Air-One Vertiport. The F&B facility is being operated by Compass Group division Eurest. We will be talking to Urban-Air Port’s Chief Hospitality Officer Nick Goddard-Palmer about his plans to roll out F&B and other hospitality elements in UAP vertiports worldwide.
DAY ONE
9.15am – Welcome from Air-One, Coventry
British start-up Urban-Air Port (UAP) is today opening Air-One, the much-anticipated infrastructure enabling a world-first demonstration of a fully-operational hub for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The vertiport site in the UK city of Coventry – which will showcase air taxis and autonomous cargo drones – heralds a new age of zero-emission, congestion-reducing urban transport.
The Moodie Davitt Report is on location for the next two days among the VIP guests to be granted first sight of the vertiport. As well as images inside and outside of the ground-breaking development, we will bring you reactions from key stakeholders, provide insight into how the vertiport works and assess its significance to the travel retail market.
We will also find out what is driving the prediction that the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry could become a US$1 trillion market inside 20 years. Keep an eye on this page for live updates.
Read our event preview story here.
