UK. Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft infrastructure pioneer Urban-Air Port (UAP) has extended an invitation to the travel retail community to find out first hand about new commercial opportunities that will come through its vertiport developments. Players in the channel are being asked to attend the launch of Air One in Coventry, UK across a public event which is running from 28 April-15 May.
Air One will attract global media attention when it is unveiled on 25 April as the world’s first fully-operational hub for eVTOL aircraft (including air taxis) and delivery drones. The Moodie Davitt Report will be there to bring you live coverage.
Multiple new partnerships have already been announced with high-profile retail and food & beverage brands to collaborate on delivering what UAP describes as “the travel retail experience of the future”.
As reported, the initial partners include luxury athleisure brand Anatomie; Italian food & beverage producer Bottega; Eurest (part of Compass Group), which will run the Urban-Air Café; ‘smart vending’ specialist Mother, whose equipment will be used to provide products on-demand and act as a click-and-collect point at future unmanned drone hubs; Italian fashion house Paul & Shark; and LG Business Solutions, which will provide on-site technology in public spaces such as interactive screens to host brand campaigns.
“It is an extremely attractive opportunity for travel retail, and other, brands. We would be delighted to show interested parties more and cordially extend an invitation to brand representatives to attend the Air One opening event.” – UAP Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter
Anatomie CEO Kate Boyer told The Moodie Davitt Report in a recent interview: “Urban-Air Port is working on the infrastructure to enable light, quick, eco-friendly transportation. That is a great match for what we do as a brand. Our core values are so well aligned with UAP – we are completely on the same page about the future of travel and the modern retail that goes with it.”
UAP has revealed to The Moodie Davitt Report the identify of further major brands involved in travel retail who have become official sponsors and supporters, ahead of the Air One opening. We will reveal their names when they are formally announced next week.
The Air One launch event – which is being staged in partnership with eVTOL aircraft developer Supernal and Coventry City Council – will give participants an immersive experience where guests can tour the vertiport and learn about the prospect of sustainable advanced and urban air mobility solutions.
The event will showcase all elements of Urban-Air Port functionality including passenger taxi processing, disaster emergency management, security, logistics, charging infrastructure, command and control, and F&B and retail opportunities. On display at the event will be the Supernal SA-1 eVTOL air taxi model and there will be flight demonstrations from Malloy, Skyfarer and West Midlands Police.
Air One is 17,000sq ft in area and includes a 56ft diameter flight deck for flying taxis, which UAP claims to be the biggest onshore aircraft carrier deck.
Part of the Air One structure is a 4,300sq ft lounge including a product showcase featuring retail partners such as Anatomie, Bottega and Paul & Shark and F&B facilities. Retail elements are linked to the UAP retail app, Urban-Air Choice, where products from these and more brands are offered.
UAP Chief Retail Officer Keith Hunter said: “The retail offering is a key part of our strategy to diversify income streams beyond the aeronautical core of the business. With our vertiports 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: “It is an extremely attractive opportunity for travel retail, and other, brands. We would be delighted to show interested parties more and cordially extend an invitation to brand representatives to attend the Air One opening event.”
Underlining interest from the travel retail channel is the confirmed attendance at the VIP opening event of senior representatives from Tax Free World Association and the Duty Free World Council.
UAP – which in January outlined plans for its first 200 vertiports – has predicted that its global passenger numbers could reach up to 28 million annually in the next five years. That could bring with it a significant new market for retail and F&B.
You can book your visit to Air One here. For more on retail opportunities, email keith@urbanairport.com; and for F&B opportunities, contact Nick Goddard-Palmer at nick@urbanairport.com.
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