Within three years, anyone could be able to reserve a flying taxi
Whenever we think of a future flying car has always been part of the imagination, well now we can see that happening. For some people of a certain age Flying taxis idea brings to mind the once-popular animated TV series The Jetsons, a family living in a futuristic metropolis where commuters headed to work in cars that fly, aired during the 1960s. Flying cars are just a few years away from us.
Uber and Boeing developing eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) flying taxis, one report predicted that by 2040 there will be 430,000 such vehicles flying around the world.
These taxis will need lots of mini-airports, dubbed “skyports” for landing in places where people want to go.
Joby Aviation, a venture-backed aerospace company, developing an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft that it intends to operate as an air taxi service, is a leader in developing flying taxis has already carried out more than 1,000 test flights of its eVTOL craft.
Its piloted vehicle can carry four passengers, travel at up to 200 mph (322 km/ph), and has a range of more than 150 miles (241km).
By 2024 it hopes to get approval from US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to begin commercial operations.
The cities like Houston, Los Angeles, and Orlando have announced plans to establish infrastructure for flying taxis and other similar vehicles.
Meanwhile, the UK is trying to become the world’s first operational hub for air taxis and cargo drones which is being designed by a Hyundai. The first skyport of the country is to be built in Coventry near the city’s rugby and football stadium.
There are also going to be many challenges standing in the way of these plans. The main challenges are regulatory hurdles and air traffic control systems.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US, or the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), hasn’t given the authorization to fly commercially yet.
Despite these challenges, there is already enormous demand and interest in skyports from cities across the US, Europe, and Asia.