Flying Taxis Will Make Getting to the Airport a Breeze
The answer to gridlock on the highways around airports could be electric air taxis. But this is not a futuristic dream. United Airlines is helping to make it a reality.
The carrier is ordering 200 flying e-taxis from Eve Air Mobility which designed vehicles for short commutes—like going from city centers to airports – that can seat four passengers, reported CBS News. The eVOTL planes take off and land like helicopters.
This is the second investment in air taxi technology for the aviation giant. In 2021, the airline ordered 100 vehicles from Archer, a California based electric air taxi manufacturer.
These vehicles that are due to be delivered in 2026 can fly from rooftop to rooftop but neither has received clearance from the federal aviation regulators to carry passengers. This doesn’t seem to deter United Airlines.
A greener way to travel
These types of vehicles are more environmental than using ground transportation according to The Verge. That’s because the air taxis do not use combustion engines; eVOTLs use electric engines that have no carbon emissions.
This will reduce pollution, and noise levels (by 90 percent) according to a joint press release from United Airlines and Eve Air Mobility. This will further the airlines’ goal of net zero carbon emissions without using offsets by 2050.
Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures, wrote in the press release: “Our agreement with Eve highlights our confidence in the urban air mobility market and serves as another important benchmark toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 — without using traditional offsets.
“Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.”
United Airlines commitment to the environment
This Is not United’s first or only environmental venture. The company started using bio-fuel in flights from Los Angeles – the eco-hub of the airline – in 2016. It was the first airline in the US to commit to significantly use bio-fuel and this could cut emissions by 60 percent.
If the company meets its goal of reducing its carbon footprint to net zero, it will be the first US airline to do so. “We’re embracing a new goal to be 100 percent green by 2050 by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions 100 percent,” said the airline’s CEO Scott Kirby in a 2020 press release. “And we’ll get there not with flashy, empty gestures, but by taking the harder, better path of actually reducing the emissions from flying.”
From baby steps to flying leaps, this airline is working on its commitment to the environment. Hopefully this is just one part of a global commitment to green the airline industry.
