Air taxis, hyped for years, may finally arrive in the US by 2028

NEW YORK - For years, flying taxis have represented an exciting but distant dream, fuelled in part by industry hype. Now they have a roll-out plan and a target arrival date: 2028.

In a document published on Tuesday, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) outlined the steps that it and others need to take to usher in a competitive air taxi market in at least one location by 2028 with limited operations starting as early as 2025.

The vehicles look like small airplanes or helicopters and can take off and land vertically, allowing them to operate from the middle of cities, whisking people to airports or holiday destinations such as the Hamptons in New York or Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

The FAA’s plan is notable because it reflects confidence that the technology is only a few years away, and because it comes from the agency that will oversee certification of the aircraft as well as the rules that pilots and companies must follow.

“These things will be coming on the scene, and our job is to try and be ahead of the curve,” said Mr Paul Fontaine, an assistant FAA administrator who oversees the modernisation of the air transportation system.

The plan is intended to serve as a guide for introducing the aircraft in a way that is predictable and routine, the agency said.

Creating the conditions for air taxis to zip above one or more cities by 2028 will be no small task, and aircraft manufacturers will need the help of many others besides the FAA, including other federal agencies and state and local governments.

Air taxis are likely to face resistance from local officials and residents, who fear that they will be safety hazards or a nuisance. Legislation and lawsuits seeking to block their use in cities and neighbourhoods could set up pitched battles.

But first, the aircraft must be certified. Many are designed to be fully electric, though some could be powered by hydrogen or a combination of jet fuels and batteries.

The aircraft are still under development by various companies and can carry only a handful of passengers.

They also contain an array of new technologies and systems, many of which will have to be individually certified to meet the FAA’s standards.

“With a lot of new aircraft technology, you bring on one very novel thing and you work your way through that,” said Dr Pat Anderson, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a co-founder of VerdeGo Aero, a hybrid air taxi company. “In these vehicles, we’re trying to bring many, many things forward, all at once.”

Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are among the US air taxi companies furthest along in that certification process, and both hope to have certified aircraft and start commercial services in 2025, ahead of the FAA’s 2028 goal.

To achieve their targets, they will have to win the approval of the federal agency and local officials for specific services and routes.

But air taxi companies have had to delay such plans in the past. In 2017, Uber said it was working on electric air taxis that would conduct passenger flights by 2020.

Instead, that was the year Uber sold its air taxi unit to Joby, which said at the time that service could begin “as early as 2023”.

Even traditional airplanes made by manufacturers with decades of experience, such as Boeing and Airbus, often face long certification delays. And FAA officials said they would not compromise safety to meet the 2028 target.

Limits on battery capacity mean the distance that many air taxis can fly will be restricted.

As a result, the aircraft will probably first be used to transport people in cities to nearby airports – a service that some companies already offer with helicopters in cities like New York.

Air taxi companies will have to compete for scarce real estate, navigate city and state regulations, develop the infrastructure to charge or fuel aircraft, and gain acceptance from residents. They will also have to hire and train pilots, who are in high demand.

Still, the FAA’s plan underscores a growing belief among industry analysts and executives that the necessary elements are coming together for air taxis to take off.

“People always ask me, ‘Why is this happening now?’” said Mr Adam Goldstein, the chief executive of Archer. “It’s the tech, the regulation and the money that allowed us to get here.”

The key to winning over the public will be making air taxis cheap enough that many people can use them, said Mr Michael Huerta, a former FAA administrator, who is now a director on the boards of Delta Air Lines and Joby.

“Over time, it will get larger public acceptance, but critical to that is going to be cost,” he said. “If you see this only as a service for very wealthy people, and you’re dealing with the impacts of it, you might be less accepting.” NYTIMES