Urban-Air Port Doubles Down on India with Sarla Aviation
Sarla Aviation and Urban-Air Port Partner to Build the Infrastructure Foundations for Advanced Air Mobility in India
London, June 22nd, 2026 Urban-Air Port (UAP) and Sarla Aviation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding marking an important step towards building the future of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in India.
India is on the cusp of becoming one of the world’s most important AAM markets. But a thriving ecosystem isn’t built on aircraft alone. It requires the infrastructure, operations and regulatory frameworks that make safe, scalable commercial flight possible. Vertiports. Charging. Passenger handling. Airspace integration.
That’s exactly the thinking behind this partnership.
UAP is the team behind Air One, the world’s first fully operational Advanced Air Mobility hub demonstrator AirOne in Coventry UK, which successfully integrated aircraft operations, charging infrastructure, passenger handling and regulatory engagement in a live urban environment. UAP also brings experience from projects delivered with leading global aerospace and mobility partners, including Honda, Supernal and Airbus.
By combining UAP’s rapidly deployable vertiport infrastructure and operational expertise with Sarla’s Shunya eVTOL platform, the two companies will work together to develop the infrastructure, operational frameworks and deployment strategies needed to support the commercial rollout of Advanced Air Mobility services across India.
As part of this collaboration, the companies will:
• Integrate UAP’s vertiport infrastructure with the Shunya aircraft platform
• Develop a phased roadmap for vertiport deployment across Indian cities
• Engage with the DGCA to support future commercial vertiport operations in India
• Assess potential deployment sites across key metropolitan regions and strategic state government-identified locations
As aircraft programmes progress towards certification, infrastructure readiness becomes increasingly important. Our shared focus is ensuring that vertiport deployment, operational planning and regulatory engagement advance in parallel, so that when Shunya enters commercial service, the supporting ecosystem is ready to scale with it.
India won’t just adopt Advanced Air Mobility. It has the opportunity to define how it is deployed at scale.
By combining indigenous aircraft innovation with proven operational infrastructure, Sarla Aviation and Urban-Air Port are helping to build the infrastructure, operational capability and ecosystem needed to unlock a new era of urban and regional air transport.
Urban-Air Port’s latest AirOne [8 Hanger & 1 Vertical Airfield] Vertiport system.
Image credit: Urban-Air Port & AIRCLAD. All Rights Reserved
“Urban-Air Port has always believed that the real challenge for Advanced Air Mobility is not a single demonstration site, but commercialisation at network scale.
Four vertiports do not make a transport system. While much of the industry remains focused on aircraft certification, we have spent the last seven years focused on the infrastructure, operations and deployment models required to support AAM at scale.
To make AAM successful, the industry needs repeatable, rapidly deployable infrastructure that can be integrated into existing cities and expanded alongside demand.
India has the population, ambition and urban growth to become one of the world’s most important AAM markets and one of the first to demonstrate commercial deployment at meaningful scale.
Sarla is building an aircraft designed for India and Urban-Air Port has spent years solving the infrastructure challenge. Together, we can move beyond demonstrations and start building a real network.””
About Sarla Aviation
Sarla Aviation is an India-based aerospace company developing next-generation electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, including its flagship Shunya platform.
Focused on solutions tailored to India’s unique urban and regional mobility needs, the company is advancing integrated aircraft, operations and ecosystem partnerships to enable scalable Advanced Air Mobility deployment.
Sarla Aviation is backed by leading investors, including IndiGo, supporting its ambition to bring commercially viable eVTOL services to market.
General enquiries: hello@sarla-aviation.com
About Urban-Air Port
Aviation & Defence Technology | World’s most advanced, patented infrastructure for Advanced Air Mobility
Urban-Air Port is a cutting-edge aerospace, robotics, and air mobility platform driving 21st-century defence and aerospace innovation. Harnessing decades of expertise in drones, aviation, and infrastructure, it delivers unmatched solutions for global defence and aerospace markets.
Its defence-focused Pandora suit of products, unveiled at DSEI 9-12th September 2025, offers covert, portable, and automated infrastructure to support tactical frontline operations. Designed to counter aerial surveillance and strikes, it enables small units to execute complex missions with enhanced tempo and resilience.
An award-winning leader in infrastructure, Urban-Air Port develops compact landing and charging systems for sustainable air transport, including passenger and cargo VTOL air taxis and autonomous drones for civilian and defence use. Its mission is to electrify aviation by overcoming ground infrastructure limitations, creating a zero-emission ecosystem that slashes congestion and pollution in passenger, cargo, and defence transport.
Recognised as a global leader in Advanced Air Mobility, Urban-Air Port’s patented vertiport technology delivers ultra-compact, high-capacity infrastructure, transforming cities into connected, cleaner hubs for a green economic future. Its solutions are optimised for electric and hybrid VTOL aircraft, ensuring safer, quieter, and more sustainable operations compared to competitors.
The “Vertical Airfield” technology compacts conventional airfields, enabling safe electric vertical take-off and landing at height, akin to an aircraft carrier. Urban-Air Port’s vertiports are 80% smaller than alternatives, featuring modular designs for scalable expansion, maximised eVTOL throughput, and integrated energy storage for superior performance and passenger experience.
The Air-One project in Coventry, launched in April 2022 with UK Government Research and Innovation funding, marked the world’s first fully operational vertiport in a dense urban setting. It hosted over 15,000 visitors and 150 successful flights within Coventry’s complex urban airspace and airport restriction zone.
Backed by global partners like Supernal (Hyundai Motor Group) and Directors of M7 Real Estate (Oxford Properties), Urban-Air Port’s team of aeronautical engineers and aerospace experts brings experience from Airbus, Foster + Partners, Arup, BAA, McKinsey, Hyundai, Vertical Aerospace, EASA, NATS, Qatar Airways, Anduril and elite military units like US Special Forces and the British Army.
Visit www.urbanairport.com for more information and follow us on LinkedIn.
Media enquiries: press@urbanairport.com
