Flying Taxis in New York? About Time, I Say
Image Credit: Archer Aviation.
The bright sparks at a gaff called Archer, out in sunny Santa Clara, California, reckon they're about to turn the Big Apple into something straight out of The Jetsons. Air taxis, they say! Honestly, you'd think with all the traffic jams down on the ground, someone would've thought of this sooner. But no, leave it to the Californians to finally get their act together.
Their grand scheme involves a network of "vertiports" – they'll be using existing helicopter pads, thanks to Atlantic Aviation. The big idea? Whisking people from the madness of Manhattan to places like JFK Airport in five to fifteen minutes. If you've ever been stuck in a New York taxi, inching along like a snail on a treacle spill for a good hour or two, that idea must sound like pure magic.
These airborne chariots, dubbed "Midnight" – a rather dramatic name, if you ask me – are being built with the help of none other than Stellantis. Together, they're hoping to churn out over two thousand of these things a year from a factory in Georgia. That's a fair few flying machines! Each one can squeeze in four punters and a pilot. Let's just hope the pilot knows where they're going and doesn't get us all tangled up in the skyscrapers.
Image Credit: Archer Aviation.
There's only a tiny bit of a hurdle left before Midnight takes to the skies - it's called "Type Certification," and it comes from the FAA. But if Archer manages to jump through the many hoops to get it, their electric whirlybirds could be zipping in and out of major airports, making those short hops a doddle for United Airlines passengers. It's all part of a bigger picture, actually. They've already got their eyes on San Francisco and Los Angeles, dreaming of zipping commuters across those sprawling Californian cities. It's all starting to sound rather… plausible. Almost.
Archer isn't the only player in this high-flying game; we have other companies like Joby, AutoFlight, and Beta Technologies who've managed to get their contraptions to actually fly properly – you know, going up and then going forward. A rather crucial step, you'd think.
The Archer chaps were saying about three years ago that they were aiming to launch their New York air taxi service this year, with a route from downtown Manhattan to Newark Airport. And according to "AAM Reality Index," Archer is supposedly on track to actually do it. Blimey. Apparently, Joby Aviation might also join them in taking to the skies before the year is out. Though, there's a bit of a kerfuffle with another contender, Volocopter, who seems to have had a bit of a financial wobble. Onwards and upwards, eh?
Image Credit: Archer Aviation.
But the crucial bit is this: how much will this all cost? Archer's CEO, Adam Goldstein, reckons a flight from Manhattan to JFK could be around $150. That's apparently similar to one of those fancy Uber Black rides. Not exactly pocket change, but if it saves you an hour or two of gridlock-induced misery, it might just be worth it. And Mr. Goldstein seems rather upbeat about getting the green light in New York, what with all the existing helicopter infrastructure and, apparently, a lot of people keen to avoid the ground-based chaos.
Electric flying taxis in New York - what a way to start another week in the EV world... It still sounds a bit like something out of a particularly optimistic cartoon, but maybe, just maybe, we'll soon be looking up and seeing these electric dragonflies buzzing between the buildings. Just try not to spill your coffee if you see me waving from one of them.
