Everything you need to know about flying taxis

The chance to soar over traffic in some of the world’s great metropolises sounds like a vision of the future that’s been a long while coming. And now, that vision is about to become reality in major cities such as Dubai and New York. Most recently, the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has issued its Future of Flight action plan, setting out the aim to have the first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) taxis over London as soon as two years from now. Here’s what to expect.

What’s the latest? 

More than 150 technology companies have been working towards developing the vehicles, with a consensus largely forming that the flying taxi of the near future will look something like a drone. Over the past 15 years, propeller-driven drones have evolved from wobbly, crash-prone toys into devices capable of delivering parcels to remote locations and putting on light displays. Advances in lithium-ion batteries, electric motors and the software to help guide flight have made all the difference. 

Harnessing this new technology, California-based Joby Aviation is one of the companies developing eVTOL aircraft. Its flying taxi uses six electric motors combined with propellers that can tilt to help it manoeuvre in tight spaces and reach 200mph. It has a 100-mile range between charges, can carry four and — at least to begin with — will be piloted. Compared to traditional vehicles, it has a lower carbon footprint, with no exhaust emissions. And it is also near silent. Guy Norris, an editor at Aviation Week, has seen a prototype and says: “The aircraft made only a partially perceptible sound.”

Where will they arrive first?

As with the rise of electric cars worldwide, innovation has been emerging from China. Drone manufacturer EHang gained approval for its flying taxi from the Civil Aviation Authority of China last year. It’s now taken orders for 100 of its craft to be used for sightseeing and shuttle flights above the city of Hefei, and is developing a pilotless version.

In the UK, Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace is the pioneer and has received £37m in government grants to complete development of its five-seater eVTOL flying taxi. This has cleared the design approval stage with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and is a contender to start testing above London by 2026, where locations for ‘vertiports’, where flying taxis will be able to take off and land vertically, are being explored.

Within the confines of London, “there are companies exploring the potential for rooftops to be adapted,” says Will Nathan of Vertical Aerospace. In November 2023, Joby Aviation completed its first test flight of flying a taxi over New York, taking off from Manhattan — from where the usual one-hour journey to John F Kennedy International Airport could, Joby claims, be cut to seven minutes. The company says it’s on course to introduce the first commercial passenger service next year, and has also just signed a six-year exclusive deal with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority to launch in the Emirate by 2026.

What safety measures will flying taxis have?

The two main hurdles they’ll have to cross are winning the confidence of passengers and getting full approval from safety regulators such as the CAA and the US’s Federal Aviation Authority. A March 2024 report by aviation safety specialists Ebeni explains: ‘Li-Ion batteries can ignite, particularly following damage or high charge rates. Operating at low altitudes and in urban areas means bird strike is increasingly likely, so manufacturers must consider the effect of damage (especially around the batteries and lift thrust units).’ For its flying taxis, EHang emphasises it has included ‘back-ups for all major flight components’, so if one fails, another will come to the rescue.

Will they be affordable?

To begin with, most likely no, with production costs at around £1m per aircraft. While some eVTOL companies are already promising low fares, it’s likely that the earliest will fill the niche of helicopters, potentially shuttling first-class airline passengers between major airports and city centres — just in a much quieter way with reduced emissions. But, as with the democratisation of so many rapidly advancing technologies, we can likely expect improved supply to present the chance for us all to be hailing a flying cab in the future.