UK to have flying taxis in 3 years
Electric air taxis will arrive in Britain sooner than expected, with Transport Minister Mike Kane announcing they will be airborne inside three years. The UK government is keen to use new flight technologies in ways that benefit the economy and society at large and hopes to have pilotless flying taxis available by 2030. The electrically powered flying cars could travel at over 150mph for up to 100 miles distances and be three times faster than a car journey and are considered less costly, cleaner, quieter, and cheaper than helicopters. The government has recently offered last month £20 million in funding to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to help develop flying taxis.
The industry-government partnership scheme will enhance drone capabilities by 2027 and flying taxis by 2028 in the UK, Kane further added. Labour MP Alice Macdonald gave Kane the chance to travel by electric plane used in a Norwich-based pilot project that will make East Anglia a trailblazer for aviation technology. Kane expressed his desire to go to the airport but made no concrete arrangements to take to the skies. Conservative shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon was concerned about the potential impact the government's Employment Rights Bill would have on the experience of passengers traveling, but Kane assured that the government is concerned about passengers. The flying taxi has been touted as the next transportation giant leap in public transportation, enabling people to travel faster and more environmentally. In the future, one could request an Uber-like flying taxi trip, which would be an awful lot quicker than the traditional ground taxi. For example, a trip from Heathrow to Canary Wharf would take only eight minutes, a major reduction from the current taxi journey of approximately 80 minutes. Bristol-based company Vertical Aerospace is one that is working on electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft in a £2. 8 billion project. The aircraft would be capable of taking off vertically and would need less runway space and would be able to land at city perimeters or on top of skyscrapers.
In addition, partnerships like the Virgin Atlantic and Joby Aviation partnership are focused on building zero-emission short-range transport in the UK.
Their electric air taxis will carry a pilot and four people on board, flying at speeds of up to 200mph and facilitating quick movement between important points.
Sir Stephen Hillier, of the CAA, believes that flying taxi industry is on the cusp of a breakthrough and needs global standards to allow for this new mode of transport, which will be taking up airspace and easing road congestion. With the electric car revolution, most of the flying taxis will be electric-powered, not spewing out toxic fumes. Mr. Hillier further said that the air around us is not utilized as effectively as possible currently and that technology will help us exploit this space better in the coming times. Meanwhile, Franky Zapata's Airscooter, a single-person flying machine, provides speedy travel at speeds of up to 62mph but is less environmentally friendly since it is also fuel-based to a certain extent.
Reference
Jonathan Chadwick for Mail on line. Flying taxis will take to British skies in just three years, government minister claims - making journeys three times faster than by car.
Available at- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14718853/Flying-taxis-British-skies-three-years-minister.html
(Assessed: 19th May 2025)
