The UK could see taxis flying overhead within two years if government plans to galvanise the industry go ahead.
Flying taxis, most of which take the form of sci-fi helicopters known as eVTOLS (short for electric vertical take off and landing craft) – are already set to become a reality in some parts of the world and there is an appetite and market for this form of transportation, experts say. But the UK is lagging behind.
Drones and other means of flight are becoming increasingly autonomous, according to a new Future of Flight action plan, and while certification has in the past been a major barrier to the advancement of the industry, according to Dr Nadjim Horri, an aerospace lecturer at the University of Leicester, such issues are starting to be resolved.
Nonetheless there remain obstacles preventing the development of services such as flying taxis in the UK. Notably, the Future of Flight plan says, neither the infrastructure, nor the public, is ready for the advent of pilotless transport.
In response, the government is planning a number of reforms intended to accelerate the implementation of eVTOL technology. One move is to allow drones to operate beyond the line of sight of the operator. By focusing on broadly public-serving activities, such as delivering medical supplies and tracking criminal activity, the plan suggests the sight of unmanned drones could be commonplace and better accepted by as early as 2027.
Another public acceptance issue is to do with perceived exclusivity of flying taxi journeys. Craig Roberts, PwC’s head of drones, who has co-authored a report on working with the government suggests the answer is “longer distance, higher occupancy cases”. “It’s challenging, but possible,” he says of the 2026 target.
The public, it is argued, also needs to be convinced of the case for speed and convenience between destinations – especially that any security barriers and procedures before boarding an air taxi would be faster and easier than other means of transport including existing flight options such as planes and helicopters.
Reducing security procedure times too “is a problem” said Roberts, pointing out that the industry “knows it has to be solved. But there are technological ways of doing this,” he added.
The development of drone and flying taxi activity also presupposes the creation of new infrastructure projects, such as “mini airports”. One such was set up in 2022 in a Coventry carpark, as a month-long proof of concept.
The firm behind that, Urban Air Port, has decried the lack of investment inurban centres. As a result, its Chief Executive Andrea Wu has cast doubt on the Future of Flight timeline. The Civil Aviation Authority would need to significantly speed up the pace of consultations for vertiports at existing aerodromes and drive through new regulation, if autonomous drone services, whether for medical, policing or taxi use, are to take to the air by 2030, Wu said.
