The days of long taxi lines and road congestion at airports could soon be a thing of the past, should the concept of electric air taxis move past the idea stage and into reality.
Frankfurt Airport is leading the charge to implement a system of electric air taxis that could lift passengers from airports and drop them at designated pick-up points outside of airports.
Working with German firm Volocopter, the airport plans to build on a concept of two-seat aircraft that can fly autonomously or with a pilot that would seamlessly integrate with existing transport infrastructure.
“This will be examined using a so-called Volocopter Port. In the future, Volocopter Ports could link existing urban transportation junctions with one another and provide connections to and from Frankfurt Airport (FRA),” says a statement about the concept.
After successful testing in Dubai, Volocopter now asserts that its technology is quiet, safe and emissions-free.
However, as autonomous flying into airports is not yet legal, the future of the concept relies on legal frameworks being established.
“Autonomous flying will fundamentally change aviation in the years to come,” said FRA spokesperson Anke Giesen.
“We want to be the first airport in Europe to harness the potential of electric air taxis in partnership with pioneer Volocopter – for the benefit of our passengers and the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region.”
They’d better move fast, because Boeing and Uber are reportedly working on their own air taxis and the required laws to operate them.
Read more at Travel Talk.
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