- They can reach speeds in excess of 240 km/h and are more environmentally friendly than helicopters
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Flying taxis will take to British skies by 2028, the government has announced.
The vehicles are expected to travel more than three times faster than a car.
Accelerating to more than 150 mph for up to 100 miles, the planes are cheaper, greener and quieter than helicopters.
Ministers will today present ambitious plans to make this science fiction idea a reality by overhauling current regulations and infrastructure.
The government estimates that flying taxis will be “systematically” in the air above us by 2028, and could operate unmanned by 2030.
Accelerating at more than 240 km/h for a distance of up to 160 km, flying taxis are cheaper, greener and quieter than helicopters and the government hopes they will be in the air by 2028.
Ministers will outline ambitious plans to overhaul current regulations and infrastructure and allow flying taxis to take flight in 2028 and operate unmanned by 2030 (File image)
According to the plans, airspace sharing will be carried out by high-tech drones delivering 999 supplies and fighting crime.
Although the average price of an air taxi journey is unknown, the technology is expected to boost the UK economy by £45 billion by the end of the decade.
The idea of flying taxis and drones alongside planes and helicopters in the near future is due to dramatic improvements in cutting-edge battery technology, which are now more powerful and lighter than ever, according to the Minister of Aviation and Technology, Anthony Browne.
Several companies already have flying taxis – technically known as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) – ready to operate, but there are currently no licenses for their operation.
The VX4, designed by British company Vertical Aerospace, can carry four passengers up to 100 miles at a cruising speed of 150 mph and is much quieter than a helicopter.
A journey from Liverpool to Leeds takes just 26 minutes, compared to an hour and a half by car. Or 20 minutes from Brighton to Heathrow, which currently takes four times as long to drive.
As part of the Future of Flight Action Plan, the Civil Aviation Authority has been tasked with setting up a certification process so companies can start operating the aircraft.
The government says it will also support the development of “vertiports”, essentially take-off and landing airports that do not need a runway.
Although the average price of an air taxi journey is unknown, the technology is expected to boost the UK economy by £45 billion by the end of the decade (File Image)
In addition, the plan explains how drones, piloted remotely, will help fight crime, save lives, deliver packages and repair infrastructure.
Several successful trials have already been conducted in controlled areas, but regulation is now needed for drones to be used more widely and on a larger scale.
Last year a West Midlands Police drone team identified two offenders and another suspect in an operation which would have required officers additional hours on the ground. And Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust found that drones were helping to significantly reduce delivery times of surgical implants between hospitals.
Mr Browne said: “Cutting-edge battery technology will revolutionize transport as we know it – this plan will ensure we have the infrastructure and regulation to make this a reality.
“From flying taxis to emergency service drones, we are ensuring the UK is at the forefront of this step change in transport.”