Picture a flying taxi able to whisk passengers to their chosen destination within minutes, not hours. A noiseless aircraft free from carbon emissions, capable of vertical takeoff and landing in the heart of a major city. What once sounded like a scene out of a science-fiction novel is cruising toward reality, forever altering the way we move.
Major aerospace manufacturers like Airbus, Boeing, Honeywell and Rolls-Royce, in addition to numerous start-ups, are actively developing a new breed of small battery-powered aircraft that can ferry several passengers at a time. The concept has also attracted serious interest from air carriers such as American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines.