Welcome aboard: flying taxis coming our way after important FAA ruling

It took around eight decades, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially recognized a new category of aircraft, an electric vehicle capable of taking off and landing vertically – a flying taxi.

“For the first time since helicopters began flying in the 1940s, a new category of aircraft will soon appear in the skies, referred to as powered-lift aircraft,” said the FAA last week.

“These aircrafts will take off and land like a helicopter, yet move through the skies like an airplane.”

In the announcement, the FAA said it has formally finalized training and pilot certification rules for advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, more commonly referred to as air taxis – electric flying vehicles that scientists in the US and elsewhere have been developing for years.

It’s “the last key step needed to get these new types of aircraft flying safely,” said the agency, the administrator of which, Mike Whitaker, confirmed in a blog post that the air taxis will be “the first completely new aircraft category introduced to civil operations.”

“As a kid, I watched ‘The Jetsons’ cartoon, which depicted flying cars whisking people to and from their homes and offices high above the city. Back then, that idea was far-fetched. Now? Maybe not so much,” said Whittaker.

The FAA’s move to publish training and certification rules as well as operational requirements is a step towards a higher level of safety for this new type of aircraft. Air taxis need to be safely integrated into America’s National Airspace system.

An air taxi looks and moves much like a helicopter. But instead of using one large and noisy rotor to fly, it uses smaller and quieter rotors – this makes the aircraft more compact and more appropriate for residential areas.

Most AAM aircraft models are operated by a pilot, although engineers are also exploring a future with self-flying ones.

The air taxi might debut soon—but not in the US. California-based developer Joby Aviation has created a four-passenger aircraft and is expected to launch its first ride-share service in the United Arab Emirates by 2026.

Projected speeds will reach up to 200 mph, and the aircraft will be able to fly a distance of at least 100 miles on a single battery charge. Moreover, the firm says that its taxi can fly more than 10,000 feet above sea level, which is comparable to helicopters.

In a blog post, Joby Aviation welcomed the release of new FAA rules last week and said it would help the company to launch commercial passenger service in America.

According to FAA administrator Whittaker, flying taxis could be used for transporting passengers in urban areas and short-haul operations such as air ambulance services and cargo operations.