United Airlines has just posted a $10 million bond for 200 four-passenger flying taxis from Archer Aviation, a San Francisco-based startup. The company thus shows its support for this technology which has not yet been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, to begin transporting passengers to city airports.
Flying taxis to never miss your flight again because of road traffic
Archer’s eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) planes have the ability to take off and land much like helicopters, which means no runway is needed. They are designed to be quieter than cars or even air conditioners (!) and have a range of 60 miles or 97 km. They can move at speeds of up to 150 mph, or 240 km/h. According to the airline, these flying taxis could provide an alternative for passengers to travel to airports in the cities with the most congested roads where it operates, but it has not yet decided which ones.
Accelerate electric mobility to align with current requirements
“This announcement marks another important step in our relationship with Archer”, said Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures in a press release. “We are witnessing an inflection point where consumers, businesses and policy makers are all aligned to prioritize technology that reduces the impact of climate change.”