Stefan Mileschin

Still will not cross the river after 11 pm

Europe could see the first flying taxis enter service as early as 2024, the region's top aviation regulator has announced.

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) executive director Patrick Ky said more than half a dozen European firms have announced developments of Urban Air Mobility vehicles for passenger use or for unmanned cargo sorties such as delivering medical supplies.

"I believe that commercial use of (air) taxis can start to take place in 2024 or 2025”, he said.

EASA cited figures suggesting a 4.2-billion-euro UAM market in Europe by 2030, creating 90,000 jobs. Some 31 percent of the global market for the new technology would be based in Europe.

EASA has already started the process of certifying some of the designs and expects first approvals for the lightweight machines by around 2024, Ky told reporters.

German startup Volocopter and backers of other projects such as Aeroports de Paris (ADP.PA) hope to demonstrate the technology in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

https://fudzilla.com/news/automotive...-taxis-by-2024