Air taxi travel taking off as Vertical Aerospace targets US launch by 2028

The future of mobility may soon take off.

“It will transform urban transportation around the world’s major cities,” Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson said as the company unveiled its next generation electric air taxi in the US, designed to transport passengers across congested cities in minutes rather than hours.

UK-based Vertical Aerospace is developing an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, with the aim of easing gridlock in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, where ground transportation is increasingly stretched to its limits.

The American Airlines-backed electric air taxi company aims to change the way people travel

Flying at speeds of up to 150 mph with a range of nearly 100 miles, the aircraft is designed to accommodate four passengers in a premium configuration, with the flexibility to accommodate up to six standard helicopter-style seats. It can hold multiple bags and personal items, making it suitable for airport transfers and short regional trips.

The plane’s propulsion system is designed to be significantly quieter than conventional helicopters, an important factor for regulators and city officials concerned about noise pollution in dense urban environments.

“We designed this aircraft to meet the highest safety standards in the world, on par with Airbus or Boeing,” Simpson said.

The interior of a Vertical Aerospace plane that looks set to receive certification by 2028. (Fox Business Network)

Flying taxi: a look at the future of travel

Vertical Aerospace says its air taxi is intended for a wide range of uses, including airport transportation, cross-city urban travel, air sightseeing, emergency medical flights, cargo delivery, and defense operations.

“There is government support here in the United States, and government support in Europe and Asia,” Simpson said. “The product is here and ready to go.”

The company aims to have its aircraft certified by 2028, which will allow it to begin commercial operations in the United States and globally shortly thereafter. Vertical Aerospace says it is working closely with US aviation regulatory bodies, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation, as part of the certification process.

Production and delivery are expected to begin after obtaining regulatory approval. The company plans to deliver at least 175 aircraft by 2030, with a long-term goal of increasing production to up to 900 aircraft per year by 2035.

Vertical Aerospace aims to have its aircraft certified by 2028. (Fox Business Network)

Archer Airlines teams up with United Airlines to make air taxis a reality

In New York City, Vertical Aerospace shared proposed route plans with partners including Bristow, a leading helicopter operator, and Skyports, which owns the Downtown Skyport and specializes in air taxi infrastructure. Planned use cases include airport transportation, event travel, weekend and leisure trips, intercity transportation, aerial sightseeing, and emergency services.

Vertical Aerospace president Domhnall Slattery likened the rise of electric flight to previous discoveries that have reshaped how people move around the world.

“If you think about aviation, there were three big moments,” Slattery said. “A hundred years ago, the Wright Brothers were here in America. In the 1950s, jet engines changed the way people moved. Now we have electric aviation.”

Vertical Aerospace’s electric air taxi could revolutionize mobility in major American cities. (Fox Business Network)

Get FOX Business on the go by clicking here

In today’s big cities, transformation may be inevitable, he added.

“People have reached a point in the world’s major cities, whether it’s New York, Los Angeles or Tokyo, where they simply can’t walk around on the ground,” Slattery said. “So the only way is to go up to the highways in the sky.”

The company’s progress comes as the US government rolls out a national strategy aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric air taxis. Officials say the initiative could transform mobility, speed up emergency response times, expand access to health care and change how goods are moved across major urban areas.

As regulators, manufacturers and infrastructure providers move closer to bringing the technology to market, air taxis could soon become a visible part of daily transportation, cutting travel times from hours to minutes in some of the country’s most congested cities.