Flying taxis could be here in next three years

A new form of transport will be with us in the next few years – flying taxis. Many of us grew up watching sci-fi movies with airborne taxis. Science fiction is now becoming science fact. The Japanese airline ANA has teamed up with a U.S. tech start-up called Joby Aviation. The two companies aim to start operating air taxis at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka. They are currently working together on building the flying vehicle. They also need to work out what traffic rules the taxis will need to follow, and what kind of training flying taxi pilots will need. The five-seat, all-electric taxi will be able to take off and land vertically. It will have a flight range of 241 kilometers and a top speed of 321kph.

Joby's CEO said the taxis would be good for the environment. He told reporters: "Joby exists to help people save time while reducing their carbon footprint. Japan offers us a spectacular opportunity to do just that with 92 per cent of the population living in urban areas, and Tokyo being one of the top 20 most congested cities in the world." The president of ANA, Koji Shibata, was also excited about the project. He said: "ANA has 70 years of experience delivering safe and reliable flights to customers across the world.…Being able to provide them with the option to travel rapidly, and sustainably, from an international airport to a downtown location is very appealing."