British start-up Urban-Air Port (UAP) has secured investment from Supernal, previously the UAM division of Hyundai Motor Group, to deliver on the companies' shared vision of integrating advanced air mobility (AAM) into existing transit networks and creating a seamless passenger journey. The funding will help support UAP's plans to develop 200 vertiport sites across the world in the next five years.

These 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. A fully operational eVTOL hub, Air-One, will open for public visitation in Coventry city centre in the UK 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 decarbonise transport.

Urban-Air Port has also welcomed Supernal global head of partnerships and business development Adam Slepian to its board of directors, and Supernal manager of infrastructure and ecosystems partnerships Matthew Sattler to its board of advisors. The close collaboration between the two companies will ensure knowledge and expertise are shared across two crucial components of the industry.

The urban air mobility market is forecast to grow by nine per cent annually, reaching US$12.7 billion by 2027 and up to US$1 trillion in the next 20 years. However, lack of ground infrastructure remains one of the biggest barriers to AAM growth. For example, only three per cent of industry investment in 2021 (US$150 million) was in the physical ground infrastructure, despite 33 times that figure (US$5 billion) committed to the development of eVTOL vehicles in the same period.

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 start-up will help support the development of UAP's new vertiport models including the City Box delivery drone hub, and expansion into new markets.

“Cars need roads. Trains need rails. Aircraft need airports. eVTOLs need urban airports. Despite the unparalleled potential of eVTOL aircraft to revolutionise mobility, the importance of the ground infrastructure that enables them is too often overlooked," says UAP founder and executive chairman Ricky Sandhu. "With Supernal's investment, 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.

"We are assembling a group of aligned financial and corporate venture capital investors that will extend our leadership. I look forward to welcoming further investors into UAP.”

“At Supernal, we are on a mission to transform how people and society move, connect and live; therefore, it is essential we not only develop electric air vehicles, but also help shape the broader advanced air mobility market from the ground up," adds Supernal CEO and Hyundai Motor Group president Jaiwon Shin. "We are pleased to continue working with Urban-Air Port and support its efforts to create ground infrastructure that works seamlessly with eVTOLs and integrates the advanced air mobility industry with existing modes of transportation.”