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Flying taxis will be whizzing around British skies by 2028, the Government has announced. The vehicles are expected to make journeys more than three times quicker than by car.
Speeding at over 150mph for up to 100 miles, the aircraft are cheaper, greener and quieter than helicopters. Ministers will today set out ambitious plans to turn this science-fiction idea into reality by overhauling current regulations and infrastructure.
The Government believes flying taxis will ‘routinely’ be in the air above us by 2028, and potentially operating without a pilot by 2030. Sharing the airspace will be high-tech drones delivering 999 supplies and tackling crime, according to the plans.
Although the average price of an air taxi ride is unknown, the technology is expected to boost the UK economy by £45billion by the end of the decade. The idea of flying taxis and drones operating alongside planes and helicopters in the near future is all down to dramatic improvements in cutting-edge battery technology, which are now more powerful and lighter than ever before, according to aviation and technology minister Anthony Browne.
Several firms already have flying taxis – technically known as electric, vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) – ready to go, but there is currently no licence for them to operate. The VX4, designed by British firm Vertical Aerospace, can take four passengers up to 100 miles at a cruise speed of 150mph, and is much quieter than a helicopter.
A journey from Liverpool to Leeds takes just 26 minutes, compared with an hour and a half in a car. Or 20 minutes from Brighton to Heathrow, which currently takes four times as long by car.
Under the Future of Flight Action Plan, the Civil Aviation Authority has been tasked with setting up a certification process so companies can begin to operate the aircraft. The Government says it will also support the development of ‘vertiports’ – essentially, airports for take off and landing that do not need a runway.
In addition, the plan sets out how drones, flown remotely, will tackle crime, save lives, deliver parcels and repair infrastructure. Several successful trials have already been carried out in controlled areas, but regulation is now needed for drones to be used more widely and at greater scale.
Last year, a drone team from West Midlands Police identified two offenders and another suspect in an operation that would have taken officers on the ground hours longer. And Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust found that drones helped significantly cut delivery times of surgical implants between hospitals.
Mr Browne said: ‘Cutting-edge battery technology will revolutionise transport as we know it – this plan will make sure we have the infrastructure and regulation in place to make it a reality. From flying taxis to emergency service drones, we’re making sure the UK is at the forefront of this dramatic shift in transportation.’
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