UK. Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft infrastructure pioneer Urban-Air Port (UAP) has announced multiple new partnerships with high-profile retail and food & beverage brands. Together, the new partners said they are aiming to deliver “the travel retail experience of the future” at the world’s first hub for flying taxis and delivery drones – the vertiport Air-One – which is due to open in the UK city of Coventry next month.
The initial brand and F&B partners for the Air-One project include Anatomie, Bottega, Eurest (part of Compass Group), LG Business Solutions, Mother and Paul & Shark. UAP said they have teamed up to help deliver its vision of creating a destination for travellers to discover and engage with brands in new ways while visiting the company’s vertiport hubs.
The Air-One hub, which is backed by the UK government, Hyundai advanced air mobility division Supernal and Coventry City Council, will form a blueprint for over 200 similar sites planned by Urban-Air Port across the world in the next five years as the fast-advancing eVTOL industry gathers momentum.
Urban-Air Port Founder and Executive Chairman Ricky Sandhu said: “Once complete, Air-One will spark into life an entirely new world of affordable, zero-emission and congestion-free travel. However, this is not just about getting from A to B, it’s about the journey itself. Air-One is so much more than a landing pad for flying taxis and delivery drones.”
He added: “It will deliver a world-class interactive customer experience – one that can be replicated right across the world as we build our network of over 200 sites globally.
“The partnerships announced today with some of the biggest brands in retail and F&B – and the investment made by them to participate in the launch of Air-One – represent a huge vote of confidence in our future vision and the opportunities it will bring for consumers and brands alike.”
“We are unlocking an entirely new sector within the travel industry – with that comes the opportunity to develop an entirely novel consumer experience, an experience that allows people to interact with brands and services like never before” – Urban-Air Port Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter
Products from Anatomie, Bottega and Paul & Shark will be showcased at Air-One, while Eurest is the operating partner for the Air-One café.
Anatomie CEO Karen Boyer said: “We are honoured to team up with the game-changing Urban-Air Port team as we share their vision of the future – convenient, fast and zero-emission travel that’s done in comfort and style. We’re excited by this partnership opportunity, which will enable us to engage customers in our brand and products like never before.”
Eurest Managing Director Morag Freathy said: “We’re really excited to be collaborating with Urban-Air Port on the revolutionary Air-One project. As a business, we’re all about breaking boundaries and leading the way on what the future of hospitality can look like, with sustainability at the heart of all that we do. We can’t wait to get started working with such a forward-thinking company.”
LG Business Solutions will provide on-site technology in public spaces such as interactive screens that will host brand campaigns and bring products to life for consumers in what UAP describes as “new and highly interactive ways”.
Mother, the UK-based smart vending technology specialist, will provide an unmanned retail experience at Air-One. The company’s equipment will be used to provide products on demand and act as click & collect collection points at the future unmanned drone hubs which are being developed by UAP.
A new direction for travel retail
The all-new consumer offering will fall under UAP’s new retail and F&B brand, ‘Urban-Air Choice’. This single app will enable travellers to plan their journey, engage with brands associated with Urban-Air Choice and seamlessly integrate with other forms of transport.
According to UAP, each of its passenger lounges including Air-One will be an entirely new type of space. A fraction of the size of a traditional airport terminal, the company said these spaces will create a unique retail experience by exposing consumers to brands in novel and engaging ways. This will include interactive screens and virtual/augmented reality technology, rather than permanent bricks and mortar shops.
The approach, UAP said, will enable brands to remain agile, hosting interactive campaign-specific content at opportune times, rather than expensive long-term shop fronts. This enables them to engage the right audiences, with the right messages, in the right place at the right time, the company added.
All brands and products will also be accessible through the Urban-Air Choice app, UAP said, meaning the retail experience extends further than just the customer’s visit to the physical site.
Consumers will have the option to order products directly to their homes and in the future have them delivered via drone to their local Urban-Air Port or CityBox drone delivery hub; or ready to be vended by Mother’s smart vending machines using a collection code.
UAP’s travel retail and F&B vision is being spearheaded by two well-known figures from the industry. Keith Hunter, Chief Retail Officer, has both led and consulted on retail operations for major transport hubs and leisure brands including Alpha Airports Group, Warner Leisure Hotels and Qatar Airways.
Chief Hospitality Officer Nicholas Goddard-Palmer brings over 25 years of experience including as CEO of Delhi Duty Free and Vice President of F&B at Qatar Duty Free for Qatar Airways.
Hunter said: “Urban-Air Port’s vertiports are unlocking an entirely new sector within the travel industry – zero-emission electric air mobility. With that comes the opportunity to develop an entirely novel consumer experience, an experience that allows people to interact with brands and services like never before and – through our app – continue that experience beyond the terminal.”
He added: “This gives our customers absolute flexibility and control over every aspect of their journey and any services they require, perfectly complementing their lifestyle needs. It’s a phenomenal opportunity for consumers and brands alike.”
Hunter revealed to The Moodie Davitt Report that UAP is currently in discussions with more than 70 brands, with dozens of MoU’s already signed.
Asked about brand reaction to the UAP proposition, he told us: “We have generally had a great response from everyone we’ve talked to. We have been the ones to introduce urban/advanced air mobility to the retail brands, as it was not on anyone’s radar. The challenge for a lot of brands remains that strategically, they don’t know how to deal with this sector yet, even though they find the prospect exciting.”
He continued: “It would seem that there are brands whose internal structure is such that it prevents them from getting involved as they cannot determine which part of their business this sector/opportunity should sit in, especially when they try to compartmentalise it into either travel or domestic.
“I think it will be a wake-up call for some businesses that they need to be more strategically dexterous when it comes to future innovation and business development, as this is a brand new incremental opportunity beyond those they are used to.”
Goddard-Palmer said: “Coventry is just the start. With the support of our new brand partners, it gives us the platform to showcase what can be delivered in this new forum and opens the door for a whole new world of retail and F&B by creating unique experiences across the Urban-Air Choice suite of services, which is key to the delivery of our non-aeronautical strategy.”
The urban air mobility market is forecasted to grow by +9% annually, reaching US$1 trillion in the next 20 years. Commercial flights are expected to begin this decade, including Supernal’s flying taxi which is scheduled to commence commercial operations in 2028.
According to McKinsey, some flight operators could see passenger numbers reach 70,000 per day as early as 2030. UAP itself boldly predicts its global passenger numbers could reach up to 28 million annually in the next five years, creating a significant new market for retail and F&B.
From 28 April-15 May 2022, Air One will be open to the public. The Moodie Davitt Report will bring you on the ground coverage from the ground-breaking vertiport. Updates on the project can be found on UAP’s LinkedIn channel and www.urbanairport.com.
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