FLYING TAXIS
ABU DHABI TESTS FIRST DRIVERLESS AIR TAXI, LAUNCH SET FOR 2026
The future of urban travel took flight in Abu Dhabi as US-based electric air taxi manufacturer, Archer Aviation, successfully completed the maiden test flight of its driverless air taxi, the Midnight eVTOL aircraft. This pivotal trial, held at Al Bateen Executive Airport on July 2, 2025, marks a significant stride towards the commercial launch of air taxi services in the UAE by early 2026.
The test flight initiates a com- prehensive programme designed to assess the aircraft’s performance in the UAE’s challenging summer conditions,” according to a Gulf News report. Archer’s Midnight, an “emission- free” and “fully electric” aircraft, is engineered for efficient short-haul urban journeys, such as “airport-to- downtown commutes,” promising to significantly “slash travel times,
reduce road congestion and offer a quieter and sustainable trans- portation alternative.” Abu Dhabi is set to be Archer’s inaugural international launch market. Contrary to assumptions that such technology would be exclusive to the elite, pricing is to be “affordable for the general public.” This breakthrough in Abu Dhabi follows Joby Aviation’s own test flight on June 30, 2025 in Dubai.
VERTICAL AEROSPACE MAKES HISTORY WITH FIRST AIRPORT-TO-AIRPORT FLYING TAXI FLIGHT
A significant leap forward in urban air mobility occurred in Oxfordshire as Vertical Aerospace successfully completed the first airport-to- airport piloted flight of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, the VX4 prototype. This landmark flight saw the “flying taxi” travel 17 miles from Vertical’s flight centre at Cotswold Airport to the Royal International Air Tattoo, a military air show at a Royal Air Force station. The historic flight, which reached an altitude of 1,800 feet and a top speed of 115 mph, marked the vehicle’s first landing at a public location and was fully approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). “Flying the VX4 from airport to airport is a major milestone, and a powerful demonstration of the real- world capability of the aircraft,” stated Simon Davies, the chief test pilot for the VX4 prototype. Vertical Aerospace recently secured a $60m stock offering to bolster research and development for its
10
four-passenger eVTOL. Key aerospace firms, including GKN, Honeywell, and Leonardo, are collaborating on the development of Vertical’s proprietary battery and propeller technology that powers the eVTOL. The company boasts an impressive 1,500 pre-orders for the VX4, with notable customers including American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL, and Bristow. Vertical has also expanded its partnership with Bristow, which includes a pre-order for 50 VX4 “flying taxis” and an option for an additional 50. This achievement follows Vertical’s recent “first piloted wingborne flight” of the VX4 prototype,
demonstrating controlled wing- borne flight in open airspace over the UK countryside. This earlier flight, also approved by the CCA, was a crucial step towards commercial deployment as part of Vertical’s Flightpath 2030 strategy. Vertical is believed to be the only company globally flying a piloted winged eVTOL prototype under a design organisation approval from the CAA. Looking ahead, Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric version of its flying vehicle to extend its range up to 1,000 miles. This second-generation hybrid-prop- ulsion system is slated for retrofitting into a VX4 full-scale prototype with flight testing expected to commence in 2026. The next phase for certification will involve transition testing, demon- strating the ability to
switch
between vertical and forward flight modes, a feat recently achieved by rival air taxi company Joby Aviation with a pilot onboard.
AUGUST 2025 PHTM
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