Flying taxis - dream or reality?

We’ve all found ourselves sitting in a traffic jam on the road to nowhere, wishing we could just skip past the stationary vehicles. But what if taking to the skies was an option? Imagine a world where you could jump in a flying taxi and soar above the lines of traffic, bypassing the chaos on the road to avoid delays and reach your destination sooner. It could be closer to reality than you think.

A scientific revolution

Not so long ago, the concept of an air – or flying – taxi was a dream, belonging to the realm of science fiction and the fantasy world of secret agents such as James Bond. But times are changing, and the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector is hotting up. A new era is dawning, with eVTOLs – electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft – emerging as a more efficient and sustainable mode of transport that heralds a giant step forward in air travel.

These battery-powered, zero emission vehicles have the ability to take off and land vertically like a helicopter, yet fly like an aeroplane. They typically resemble a futuristic helicopter or jet – but are much quieter – and can generally accommodate between four and six passengers. Investors have demonstrated confidence in the AAM sector by ploughing $6.9 billion into more than 60 eVTOL deals in 2021, compared to $1 billion in 2018.¹

The idea of fleets of air taxis serving crowded cities from vertiports or private airports is hurtling towards becoming science fact rather than fiction, and anticipation is high that eVTOLs will become the way of the future.²

Realising the dream

The technology is already here and, with companies such as Volocopter and Joby Aviation well on the way to turning the air taxi dream into reality, it is anticipated that eVTOLs could take to the skies commercially in the near future.¹ This novel mode of transport could initially replace expensive journeys currently taken by helicopter, before eventually hopping between city centres and major airports as a faster and more efficient alternative to driving.

The UK’s Future of Flight action plan,³ developed in collaboration with the aerospace industry, anticipates that piloted air taxis could be a reality by 2026, with autonomous flying taxis taking to the skies by 2030.⁴ Across the Atlantic, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has boosted the eVTOL industry by issuing a final rule for the operation of electric-powered air taxis,^5,6 while the USA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Implementation Plan⁷ is targeting 2028 for the introduction of commercial eVTOL flights. Meanwhile, in Asia, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has given the green light for mass production of an autonomous flying taxi.⁸ The CAAC’s approval of the Pilotless eVTOL Air Operator Certificate Application⁹ submitted by urban air mobility technology platform company EHang represents a big step up from the development of prototypes for test flights, and is a significant leap towards the commercial introduction of eVTOLs. It is hoped that commercial flights may take place as soon as 2025

Rugged, robust and reliable connections

Designing a prototype eVTOL is just the first step towards air taxis becoming commonplace. Safety is forever at the forefront of any passenger vehicle manufacturing process, and air taxis are no exception to this. As manufacturers move towards developing vehicles approved for commercial flights, reliable, rugged power and data connectors are vital, ensuring that eVTOLs always perform as expected, even in the harshest conditions. Besides the vehicles themselves, it will also be essential that vertiports are equipped a host of control electronic safety systems and battery chargers to ensure that air taxis are carefully monitored and constantly ready for action. Like eVTOLs, these will require proven electronic components that can withstand the elements, come rain, snow or sunshine. Careful choice of supplier will be the key to successful, reliable data and power connections.

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