Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? No, it’s an Air Taxi!
It’s the near future… John looks at his watch and at the traffic on the car-choked streets below. Half an hour to get to work, but how? With that traffic I can’t take the car, a taxi, or the bus, he agonizes. Let me splurge – an air taxi!
He goes to his roof, clicks the app on his smart phone, and moments later a small, pod-like aircraft eases down with only the hum from its electrically-powered rotors. John settles in, catches up on news, calls his office, and sends some emails - getting a head-start on work.
“The skies above crowded cities are the next frontier for on-demand mobility,” says Emmanuel Guyonnet, Strategy and Marketing Director, Drones and Helicopter Avionics at Thales.
“The technology is mature and the economics make sense, but we have to adapt ATM (air traffic management) rules while guaranteeing a maximum level of safety. We must also address privacy and environmental concerns.” Emmanuel Guyonnet, Strategy and Marketing Director, Drones and Helicopter Avionics at Thales
Indeed, are people ready to see small aircraft hovering over their yards or be comfortable taking off without a pilot on board? Appropriate education, testing, and regulation will be key to meeting these concerns.
Thales advanced avionics, communications and ATM solutions help fly commercial airlines, business jets, and military aircraft, so why not air taxis? Going forward, Thales’ collaboration with Bell will ensure an end-to-end safe and reliable on-demand airborne mobility solution - a step beyond planes and helicopters.
Production volumes will reduce costs, refinements in electric propulsion will reduce noise, and AI-assisted operation will enhance safety onborad, as well as in ATM.
Once again, Thales Connectivity, Cybersecurity, Big Data and AI can make the difference, putting your air taxi just above the horizon.
Watch Emmanuel Guyonnet on the subject
ARE WE READY TO TRAVEL IN A FLYING DRONE-TAXI?
Watch more videos from Thales on YouTube