Flying taxis could be over London within just a few years, with a new six seat electric aircraft aiming to start operations by 2028 at speeds of up to 150 miles an hour. The project takes a significant step out of the concept phase this week as a full scale prototype goes on display to the public at an open house event in Canary Wharf on Wednesday.
The aircraft, known as an electric vertical take off and landing machine, is designed to lift off and land like a helicopter but cruise like a fixed wing plane, using multiple electric rotors for vertical flight before transitioning to forward thrust. The cabin layout focuses on short hop urban and regional trips, with room for a pilot and five passengers, targeting journey times that could cut an hour long car slog across the capital to minutes. Developers say noise levels will be dramatically lower than helicopters, a crucial factor for winning over both regulators and residents in one of Europes most tightly controlled bits of airspace.
Bringing such taxis into regular service by 2028 will depend on more than technology. Aviation authorities will need to certify the aircraft and establish flight corridors, while London planners and private landlords must decide where so called vertiports can be built on rooftops or beside existing transport hubs. Backers pitch the aircraft as an extension of public transport rather than a toy for the wealthy, but early pricing is likely to mirror premium services like business class rail or helicopter transfers. For now, curious Londoners can at least see what the future might look like up close, as the prototype lands not on a skyscraper but in the heart of Canary Wharf for inspection.