Way of the future: The Flying Taxi

Instead of booking an Uber to an airport how about a flying taxi to get to your flight on time?

Virgin Atlantic is the latest company to explore whether it could launch a flying taxi service.

The airline suggests electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles could fly between towns and major airports.

Several companies have promoted the idea of “flying taxis” that could pick passengers up from rooftops in city centres and take them to a variety of locations but Virgin Atlantic’s suggestion is slightly sleeker.

The proposed craft will carry four passengers and a pilot up to 100 miles as well as being emission-free and quieter than a traditional helicopter.

What is the idea?

Several companies have promoted the idea of autonomous “flying taxis” that could pick passengers up from rooftops in the city and then take them to the main transport hub such as an airport.

Virgin Atlantic’s suggestion is slightly tamer.

It has proposed that an eVTOL aircraft could pick people up from a city such as Cambridge and fly them to a major airport such as Heathrow Airport in London.

Vertical Aerospace says its VA-X4 craft will be able to carry four passengers and a pilot up to 100 miles, as well as being emissions-free and quieter than a helicopter.

The company claims it will be “near silent” when cruising.

It has already partnered with American Airlines to bring out these new taxi’s as well as Avolon, an aircraft-leasing company.