It’s science fiction: a city with shiny skyscrapers, with futuristic planes that glide lightly back and forth across the skyline. However, this isn’t a galaxy far, far away, but London in two years’ time – according to an article published by the Department for Transport. The Future of Flight action plan revealed that the city’s first flying taxis could take off as early as 2026, with autonomous air taxis following in 2030.
“The latest battery technology will revolutionize transport as we know it – this plan will ensure we have the infrastructure and regulations to make this a reality,” said Anthony Browne, the Minister for Aviation and Technology. “From flying taxis to emergency service drones, we are ensuring Britain is at the forefront of this dramatic shift in transport, improving people’s lives and boosting the economy.”
London isn’t the only major city exploring the possibilities of taking to the skies with eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles) – the race is set to be the first place to do so. Last month, Dubai announced its intention to launch the world’s first electric air taxi service in 2026, while New York has set an even more ambitious target for 2025. Both are working with Californian company Joby Aviation, which conducted its first urban test flight at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in November 2023.
Despite this, it is another country that appears to be leading the way: last year, the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) approved an eVTOL taxi made by EHang, a technology company based in Guangdong province. An £80 million deal has already been struck with the city of Hefei to provide 100 vessels for tourist flights and emergency services. Meanwhile, companies looking to launch their services in London are still waiting for the green light from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
What exactly are eVTOLs?
Currently, approximately 150 companies are developing eVTOLs; each design differs from the next, but for the most part they look like futuristic helicopters. As the name suggests, they are battery powered and are therefore touted as a much greener alternative to combustion-powered forms of transportation (although whether they are truly environmentally friendly seems to be a point of contention). They’re also said to be a lot quieter: California-based eVTOL manufacturer Archer Aviation, for example, claims its plane will produce significantly less noise in flight than a car passing by at 50 km/h.
These vehicles can take off and land vertically, which is advantageous in an urban environment. Not that they will be able to set up shop in a supermarket car park: infrastructure will either have to be built or redesigned, meaning a proliferation of small airports or ‘vertiports’ could emerge in major cities.
This brings its own challenges: how many to build, how will the space be found to build them, and how will customers get to and from the landing pads? Will they be able to walk, or will they have to hail an Uber?
“While space is at a premium in London, there are existing airports in and around the capital that could be adapted to support electric flights,” says Will Nathan of Vertical Aerospace, a British eVTOL manufacturer based in Bristol.
“There are companies exploring the possibilities of adapting roofs in London to enable a convenient network of routes. It also includes the retrofitting of existing airports, such as Heathrow or Manchester, as well as the development of new tailor-made ‘vertiports’, which will be designed for this specific aircraft. Skyports, a British vertiport developer, recently announced plans to build such a facility in Bicester, Oxfordshire,” says Nathan.
How expensive will they be?
Could taking an air taxi be as cheap and easy as booking an Uber in the near future? Some eVTOL companies are promising rates as low as $3 (£2.40) per mile, although a NASA study has estimated that up to $11 (£9) per mile could be a more realistic proposition. It sounds quite affordable, but given the production costs of around £1 million per aircraft, can it really be feasible?
For Nathan, there is a good chance that eVTOL travel will target the wealthy, if only in the short term. “Our intention is for these electric aircraft to become a modern and iconic method of transportation around the world,” he says. “As with all new technologies where demand is high and supply limited, such as the first smartphones or electric cars, we expect rates to initially be on the pricier side, but we fully expect prices to drop as supply increases.
“The operating costs of these aircraft are also significantly lower than those of a conventional aircraft or helicopter and we expect eVTOLs to eventually compete with traditional forms of ground transport such as trains and taxis.”
Of course, that assumes they can gain the public’s trust. The inherent problem with air travel is that when something goes wrong, it often goes catastrophically wrong, and although eVTOLs are loaded with failsafes to prevent such a disaster (some companies promise two emergency backups for each item), travelers may prefer to stick with cars and trains for the time being.
However, by 2030 the picture could look very different. Approval by the CAA would certainly provide a huge boost to consumer confidence in eVTOL travel, and as long as providers can operate their services without incident, there is no reason why flying taxis cannot take to the skies above London – and beyond. the world – in the very near future.