Flying taxis could become part of Paris’ public transport network in the next five years.
Planemaker Airbus has teamed up with France’s RATP transport operator to explore the viability of electric “vertical take-off and landing” (VTOL) vehicles in time for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The feasibility study will look at things such as design, maintenance, urban integration, infrastructure and low-altitude air traffic management.
Airbus and RATP want to make flying taxis “accessible to as many people as possible”.
Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, said: “Autonomous flights are no longer the reserve of science-fiction. We are developing technology demonstrators to allow populations to connect faster.
“We already have the technical blocks but we have to align them and integrate them into the user's everyday life without compromising safety, which is our priority.
“RATP is one of the major players in urban mobility. Its knowledge regarding passengers, their needs and related services, make them the ideal partner for Airbus.”
Airbus and RATP added that they want to develop the possibility of flying taxis in other major world cities.
The pair aren’t the only ones working on flying taxis: Uber is developing a vehicle with the Uber Air programme.
Australia will become the first international market for Uber Air, with Melbourne joining Dallas and Los Angeles as pilot cities for the flying taxis.
Uber announced the developments at the company’s Elevate (Uber Air) Summit in Washington last week, revealing plans to start test flights next year and begin commercial operations in 2023.
