Europe may see 'flying taxis' by 2024

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has claimed that flying taxis would roam the streets of Europe by 2024, creating 90,000 job opportunities, reports Reuters. Around half a dozen European firms have announced progress in developing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles for passenger use or unmanned cargo delivery, says Patrick Ky, executive director of EASA. He added that EASA expects a UAM market of 4.2 billion Euro by 2030, 31% of the new technology's global market. He believes that the commercial service of air taxi will start in 2024-25.

EASA has already certified some designs and is expecting first approval by 2024. German start-up Volocopter and Aeroports de Paris are hoping to demonstrate their designs during Paris Olympics in 2024, he said. He noted that their entry into the streets would depend on operational approvals and examining whether they glide over urban centres or potentially hazardous areas like railways.

EASA considers piloted crafts for passengers and drones for cargo, he says, while fully autonomous vehicles are still underdeveloped.

In a survey, 71% of people based in six urban areas showed interest in air taxis or delivery services or both. Meanwhile, 41% alone think the innovation could be beneficial in medical supplies.

The concerns the survey inferred were noise pollution, impact on nature, birds and insects and loss of cybersecurity in the case of drones.