Can air taxiing become a reality?

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 08. 16. 11:32

There is less than a year left until the Paris Olympics, where according to the goals of the organizers, electric air taxis can already take part in transporting the audience between the individual locations. To judge the reality of the plan, it is worth reviewing the main lessons of KPMG’s own research.

The skyrocketing city air traffic due to the guests arriving by helicopter to the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix is dividing Hungarian public opinion: do we need air taxis? The machines rumbling between the city center and Mogyoród arouse dislike in many people – but this may only be fueled by envy. What if personal drones that are quiet and accessible to a much wider audience could do the job?

KPMG has been monitoring the development, social acceptance and economic relevance of so-called urban air mobility (UAM) for a long time, as it is a technological and mobility innovation that can explosively transform urban transport and people’s everyday lives. Nothing illustrates the economic potential of this industry better than Morgan Stanley’s estimate that this market could grow to one trillion dollars by 2040.

The technical conditions are given, the business models are ready, several service providers worldwide are already testing their prototypes in the airspace of bustling big cities. At the same time, the international and country-specific rules that will provide the framework for the operation of air taxis are currently still under negotiation and revision.