The technology of flying, autonomous, electric vehicles is ready or almost ready. And here, as in many other sectors, Chinese capitalism has the lead: after years of testing, Chinese-made “flying taxis” are being used in Dubai.
But the widespread use of such flying vehicles has huge “air traffic control” requirements, much greater than the most commonly used one (regular airport). Can you imagine thousands (not even millions!) of such vehicles flying low in the sky of a mega-city, without colliding? Absolute automation, completely robotic flight, essentially passenger drones, is a non-negotiable prerequisite. This means big data and the appropriate artificial intelligence programs that will direct these thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of small helicopters on different air corridors, at different altitudes, from different starting points to different destinations. The driver will have no authority, except to set their destination on the screen. Essentially, they will be a passenger. Of course, suitable takeoff/landing areas will also need to be constructed.
On August 22, the Chinese civil aviation administration launched a two-week consultation to design the use of flying taxis in mainland China for short distances by 2025, for medium distances by 2030, and for long distances by 2035. American manufacturers have set 2024 as their target date to be ready—but as usual, they tend to be overly optimistic and overconfident in their timelines.
You can, therefore, be optimistic: if you have made it through clean until the end of the decade, flying taxis will have appeared even in our areas…