FAA Approves Air Taxis

Two air taxi companies have been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate on-demand passenger flights, paving the way for commercial flights in 2025, reports Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive. “These and other actions to advance urban air mobility from these two major air taxi firms come as the Federal Aviation Administration anticipates the industry maturing, resulting in increasing use of remotely-piloted and fully autonomous aircraft in the U.S.”

Archer Aviation signed a memorandum of agreement with the city of San Francisco that lets the company “explore opportunities to build a vertiport at the Kilroy Oyster Point development, a mixed-use campus in South San Francisco.” The company plans to offer flights between the city and Bay Area cities including Oakland, San Jose, Livermore, and Napa. “Archer said its goal is to replace 60- to 90-minute car commutes with 10- to 20-minute electric air taxi flights.” 

If successful, the company is eyeing expansion to Newark Liberty International and Chicago O’Hare airports.