New Atlas

Aircraft Audio available

Boeing throws its weight behind Larry Page's flying taxi startup

Nick Lavars June 26, 2019

With the backing of Google co-founder Larry Page, Kitty Hawk already has some noteworthy names attached to its flying taxi endeavors. And it's now found another in heavyweight Boeing, with the industry veteran teaming up with its fresh-faced counterpart to accelerate the age of electric aviation.

Kitty Hawk first showed off its Cora aircraft last year and now Boeing has come onboard

Urban Transport

Uber shows off aircraft cabin and declares flying taxi plans for Australia

Nick Lavars June 11, 2019

With plans already in the pipe to lift its flying taxis into the air over Dallas and Los Angeles, Uber has now added Melbourne, Australia, to the list. The announcement marks the first pilot city outside the US for the forthcoming but highly speculative Uber Air service.

Uber says its flying taxis could begin test flights in Melbourne next year

Aircraft

Volocopter and Frankfurt Airport join forces on flying taxi infrastructure

Nick Lavars February 12, 2019

Startup Volocopter will now seek to explore the possibilities around stations for its flying taxis through a newly announced partnership with Frankfurt Airport.

Render of a Volocopter flying taxi over Frankfurt Airport

Automotive

Gallery: The superlative, forward-looking cars and travel machines of CES 2019

C.C. Weiss January 14, 2019

Before coming back down to earth with the start of this week's NAIAS, the mobility industry spent some time in bright, blue sky at CES 2019. Forget cars ready to drive home off the lot, CES was focused on vessels and systems built to shift paradigms and solve emerging transportation issues.

Probably the most sensational vehicle at all of CES, the Bell Nexus concept

Aircraft

Bell bounces into CES with a tilt-rotor air taxi concept

Nick Lavars January 7, 2019

The flying taxi space is becoming pretty crowded with what you could call audacious vehicle concepts, and Bell has just dropped another one at CES in Las Vegas. The newly unveiled Nexus is a look at the future of transport that turns to a tilting six-rotor design.

A render of Bell's Nexus flying taxi in flight

Urban Transport Audio available

Audi's flying taxi concept takes flight, in miniature form

Nick Lavars November 27, 2018

Part-drone, part-self-driving electric car, Audi’s Pop.Up Next is an ambitious concept dreamt up in collaboration with subsidiary Italdesign and Airbus. The automaker is this week carrying out the first public demonstrations, albeit at just a quarter of the size the finished product.

Audi is demonstrating 1:4 scale model of its Pop.Up Next transport system at Drone Week in ...

Aircraft

Volocopter flying taxi sets down in Singapore

Nick Lavars October 18, 2018

German aviation startup Volocopter is one of the more active players in the nascent flying taxi scene. It is continuing to spread its wings, today announcing plans to set up shop in Singapore and kick off test flights next year.

Voloctoper’s plans for Singapore include tests flights for the second half of 2019

Aircraft

Electric air taxi prototype makes flight debut

Paul Ridden September 11, 2018

Vertical Aerospace operating out of Bristol, UK, aims to bring on demand, emissions-free intercity air taxi services to the UK skies within four years. The company has nailed the first step in its bold plan by building and flying a fully electric vertical take off and landing aircraft recently.

The Vertical Aerospace eVTOL prototype took to the air above Cotswold Airport in June 2018

Aircraft

Aston Martin's flying taxi concept envisages luxurious inter-city travel

Nick Lavars July 16, 2018

Aston Martin is the latest transport heavyweight to enter the flying taxi scene. It has actually teamed up with Rolls-Royce on its first vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, which it says was dreamt up with luxury, inter-city travel in mind.

Aston Martin is presenting its Volante Vision flying taxi concept at the Farnsborough International Airshow this ...

Aircraft

New York to Boston in 36 minutes thanks to VTOL air taxi, says Transcend Air

James Holloway June 29, 2018

The Transcend Air Corporation has announced the development of the Vy, a tilt-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) six-seater aircraft designed to ferry people in and out of cities. Simultaneously, the company has said it will launch an air taxi-style commuter service to operate the aircraft.