Joby Aviation hopes to start the commercial flight of their flying taxi in 2024. This idea reminds people about the popular science fiction animated TV series “The Jetsons.” After two decades, the sci-fi cartoon is soon to become a reality!
Joby is a California-based air taxi start-up that went public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) this year. In September, the company released a large amount of stock from the insiders. Like Uber and Boeing, Joby is also working on eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) flying taxis. Reports say that by 2040 there will be around 430,000 vehicle operations in the world. For flying taxis, a mini airport is required for landing and pick-up.
A spokesperson from Joby says, “We envisage offering our aerial ride-sharing service from locations near to where people live, work, and want to go. We are working closely with cities to ensure our service connects to other modes of transit, co-locating sports with train stations, airports, and other hubs.” Joby bosses hope to begin commercial operations in 2024, and they also hope to get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Joby’s flying taxi looks like a helicopter crossed with a fixed-wing plane, can carry four passengers, can travel at up to 200 mph (322 km/ph), and has a range of more than 150 miles (241km). The company has already partnered with US parking firm Reef technology to convert some of its parking lots into airports.
