https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...cars-r5zgtlw9t
Urban airport will pave the way for flying cars
The world’s first urban airport specifically for flying cars and drones will be developed under government-backed plans to cut road congestion and pollution.
A temporary airport will be built in Coventry later this year to allow small electric passenger-carrying aircraft to operate in an urban area. The site, close to the Ricoh Arena, will also accommodate parcel delivery drones and electric cars.
The zero-emission airport, to be called Air One, will initially open in November in a month-long demonstration as part of events to mark Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture. It is hoped that a more permanent facility will be created in the future.
Urban-Air Port, the London-based aerospace company which is behind the facility, said it planned to eventually build more than 200 hubs in cities around the world, with rooftops and floating platforms being used to locate them as close to urban centres as possible.
A £1.2 million grant has been awarded to the scheme under the government’s “future flight challenge” fund which promotes innovation in aviation. It also has financial backing from Hyundai, the South Korean motor giant, which is planning to launch its own flying cars by 2028......
Flying cars — effectively large, passenger-carrying drones — are not currently permitted to operate in UK airspace because the technology has not been certified by aviation regulators.....
Air One will involve the construction of landing and charging pads for up to six air vehicles alongside space for delivery drones. It will also have a terminal for passengers, cargo processing facilities and multiple charging points for electric cars. The company said it plans to use lightweight modular buildings that could be built and dismantled in a matter of days......
Coventry city council is supporting the construction of the new facility, which will initially test and demonstrate large cargo drones developed by Malloy Aeronautics, the British technology company.