Flying taxis will start operating in London by 2028, apparently

From Back to the Future to Futurama, in pop culture flying cars have to come represent the ultimate vision of tomorrow. Now that reality could be about to come true, because an aerospace company has claimed that London could actually have flying taxis in the next few years.

The British flight honchos at Vertical Aerospace have alleged that London could see flying taxis transporting passengers to and from London airports by as soon as 2028. They’ve created the electric Valo aircraft, which can fly up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour, and carry up to six passengers. The aircraft is currently undergoing testing, but the aim is for the Valo to secure regulatory approval within the next three years. 

The initial routes proposed for these terribly modern taxis would be between Canary Wharf and London airports. Planned destinations for flying taxis include London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Cambridge, Oxford and Bicester. 

Vertical Aerospace revealed their prototype to the public at an event in Canary Wharf earlier this week (Wednesday 10). The company plans to build seven aircrafts for UK use. 

Vertical Aerospace chief executive Stuart Simpson said in a statement: ‘Valo is the aircraft that turns electric flight into a commercial reality – clean, quiet, fast and engineered for everyday service. It marks a new dawn in transport, one that will connect people in minutes, not hours.’

It remains to be revealed how much a trip in one of these skyward taxis would cost. A spokesperson for the company claimed that Verticle wanted to make hailing a Valo aircraft as cheap as jumping in an Uber, which sounds like a pretty lofty ambition to us. 

The spokesperson told the Independent: ‘Like all new technology, Vertical Aerospace expects its aircraft will initially be a premium product used for airport transfers, but will evolve and become very affordable once production grows.’

They added: ‘Ultimately, the potential is for this aircraft to be a similar cost as hiring an Uber.’

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