For decades we have been hearing that the future will travel by air. That one day we will order a flying taxi like we order a normal one today, get in, and in a matter of minutes be on the other side of the city, dodging traffic jams a hundred meters above the ground. For a long time it was a cartoon dream. But not so much anymore: flying taxis exist, they fly and they are about to become a real service.
What exactly is a flying taxi
Technicians call them eVTOL, which is the abbreviation for “electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle”. Translated into everyday terms: a kind of hybrid between helicopter and drone large enough to carry passengers.
Their idea is very simple. Instead of a take-off runway, they use several electric rotors that allow them to rise and land vertically, like a helicopter. But unlike one, they do not burn fuel: they run on batteries, like an electric car. That makes them much quieter, cheaper to maintain and, above all, more respectful of the air in cities.
Why now, and not twenty years ago
The idea is not new. Helicopters have been flying for decades, but they are noisy, expensive and guzzle fuel. That is why they never became mass transport. The flying taxi would not have been possible until technology caught up with fantasy.
Three advances have been key. First, electric motors: today they are light, powerful and reliable. Second, batteries: they have enough energy for urban routes of several tens of kilometers. And third, software: the on-board computers, with sensors and control systems, are capable of stabilizing the craft and reacting in milliseconds to any unexpected event, something a human pilot simply cannot do.
Who is building them
It is not a single company pulling the cart, but an entire sector. Companies such as Joby, Archer, Volocopter or EHang have been developing their craft for years and have already completed hundreds of test flights in real conditions.
The first commercial routes are not far off. Cities such as Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo or Paris have already reserved space in their skies and are preparing the “vertiports”, the stations where these taxis will land, charge and pick up passengers. Some public tests have already been carried out coinciding with major events, and the idea of moving above traffic is starting to stop being a laboratory project.
Who is in command up there?
The first flying taxis will not fly with no one at the controls. Emptying an entire sky all at once is too risky, so the plan is to start with a pilot on board, although with enormous help from the computer.
Over time, the idea is that the craft pilots itself. Cameras, radars and laser sensors (the same ones already used by autonomous cars) constantly scan the environment so as not to collide with buildings, birds or other devices. It will be a gradual process: first with a pilot, then with the software taking control, and finally perhaps fully autonomous.
What is needed for you to get on one
The technology is almost ready, but flying in one depends on much more than the machine itself. These devices must be certified as safe by aviation authorities, something that takes years and demanding tests. The infrastructure also has to be built: the vertiports and the charging networks.
There remains the eternal challenge: price. At first, flying in a flying taxi will be expensive, a treat for early adopters. Costs will need to come down and there will need to be enough passengers for the service to be profitable. And we must not forget coexistence: the noise, although less than a helicopter’s, and the social acceptance of seeing machines flying over our heads are matters that will be resolved over time.
When will you get on one?
There is no magic date, but experts point to the near future. Before the end of the decade, it is very likely that large cities will offer flying taxi flights as a real option, although at first limited to specific routes and audiences.
So the next time you are stuck in a traffic jam, think about it: the taxi that will pass over your head may not be as far away as it seems. The future promised in the movies carries some wheels (and some propellers) that are taking shape, and it will not take as long to fly as some imagine.
