Just as Uber revolutionised the taxi business – there is another momentous change that is coming our way (subject to aviation authorities’ approval) – air taxis.
According to the appended article by Daniel Croft featured in World of Aviation, Archer Aviation in California is set to produce 250 battery-electric air taxis in 2025 and scaling up production in subsequent years to around 2,000 aircraft a year.
The new aircraft is called ‘Midnight’ but what will be the advantages over its normal road-going counterpart?
The Midnight air taxi can take four passengers plus the pilot and is able to carry up to 450kg. The key feature making it suitable to this kind of transport is its ability for vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) – this adaptability makes it usable in more urban environments.
The range is around 32km (20 miles) with a 10 minute charge turnaround time, targeting trips that would otherwise take an hour via a car.
The FAA in the US is yet to formulate certification guidelines, given the unique nature of its usage. ‘Powered lift aircraft’ means establishing a whole new set of rules. If this takes off, and there is every reason to think that it will, then Aviation Authorities throughout the world will be grappling with the same issues. So, the rules set by the FAA will set something of a template.
Please see the full article in the link here.