Companies pave the way for flying taxis
Helicopter-like aircraft on drawing board as firms invest to be in the lead
SAN FRANCISCO— Flying cars are just starting to inch their way out of science fiction. But that is not stopping some companies from planning for flying taxi services.
A growing collection of tech companies, aircraft manufacturers, automakers and investors are betting that fleets of battery-powered aircraft will give rise to air taxi services, perhaps as soon as the next decade. Some of those taxis, the companies hope, may even use artificial intelligence to fly themselves.
The deal making, technology exploration and perhaps wishful thinking around this new sort of flying transportation — please, the companies ask, don’t call them flying cars — are reminiscent of the work done on self-driving cars just a few years ago.
No one can say for certain if these new vehicles will turn out to be a real business. But many companies are already worried about being left behind. The European aerospace company Airbus said Tuesday that it was making an investment in Blade, an aviation startup in New York, and forming a partnership to expand Blade’s helicopter-hailing service in more cities around the world.
Last week, Dara Khosrowsha- hi, Uber’s chief executive, said he expected the ride-hailing company to start flying passengers on a service called Uber Air in five to 10 years. In November, Boeing acquired Aurora Flight Sciences, a company specializing in flight systems for pilotless aircraft, for an undisclosed sum. Before the acquisition, Aurora had been working with Uber to develop a flying taxi.
And Joby Aviation, a startup in Santa Cruz, California, building its own air taxi, said this month that it had raised $100 million (U.S.) in venture funding from a consortium of investors including the venture capital arms of Intel, Toyota Motor and JetBlue Airways.
“This is the natural progression of the vehicles we make,” said Ben Bridge, head of global business for Airbus Helicopters. “We want a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation that is happening.”
What these companies envision is something like a helicopter but much quieter and more affordable. Think of a hobbyist’s drone, but big enough to fit people.
For now, Airbus executives hope to gain from Blade’s experience with an app that allows customers to reserve a seat on a helicopter.
Airbus is expected to invest up to $15 million in Blade, which would represent about a10-percent stake in the company, according to a person familiar with the transaction
Airbus said it was preparing for a test flight by year-end for its CityAirbus aircraft, which carries up to four passengers and can reach a cruising speed of about 120 km/h. 75 mph. It plans to deploy the CityAirbus in 2023.