If you’re a weary Londoner, the idea of an eight minute journey from Heathrow to Canary Wharf might sound too good to be true.
But it’s set to become a reality, with the launch of a flying taxi service in Britain.
Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with Joby Aviation in a partnership that aims to offer ‘seamless, zero-emission, short-range journeys across the UK’.
The futuristic electric air taxis are designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers, and can hit impressive speeds of up to 200mph.
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This means that the journey between Heathrow and Canary Wharf – which currently takes around 80 minutes by taxi – could be slashed to just eight minutes.
‘As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flight to airports and cities throughout the UK,’ said Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic.
‘Our strategic partnership combines Joby’s expertise in design, engineering and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience.
‘We look forward to working together to bring Joby’s service to the UK and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers.’
If you’re a weary Londoner, the idea of an eight minute journey from Heathrow to Canary Wharf might sound too good to be true. But it’s set to become a reality, with the launch of a flying taxi service in Britain
Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with Joby Aviation in a partnership that aims to offer ‘seamless, zero-emission, short-range journeys across the UK’
Joby’s electric air taxi features six tilting propellers that allow it to take off and land vertically.
Best of all, this means the air taxi produces a fraction of the noise of today’s helicopters, allowing it to land in quiet areas with minimal disruption.
‘From the beginning, we knew our aircraft had to fade into the background of life,’ Joby explains on its website.
‘Our expert team of engineers has dedicated years to delivering an aircraft that will be quiet enough to land in your neighborhood.’
According to Joby, the aircraft is also optimised for rapid, back-to-back flights, and will be deployed on routes of up to 100 miles.
‘Flying with us might feel more like getting into an SUV than boarding a plane,’ Joby added.
Initially, Virgin Atlantic and Joby will be offering journeys from hubs at London’s Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport, with a flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds expected to take just 15 minutes.
According to Google Maps, this same journey in a car currently takes around 1 hour 4 minutes.
Joby’s electric air taxi features six tilting propellers that allow it to take off and land vertically. Best of all, this means the air taxi produces a fraction of the noise of today’s helicopters, allowing it to land in quiet areas with minimal disruption
The journey between Heathrow and Canary Wharf – which currently takes around 80 minutes by taxi – could be slashed to just eight minutes
However, over time, this network could be extended to cities and communities throughout the UK.
A ‘London Hub’ network map shows how customers will be able to hail rides from London and its airports to Birmingham, Norwich, Portsmouth, Brighton, Canterbury, Cambridge, Oxford, and Readibng.
Meanwhile, the ‘Manchester Hub’ will operate across Manchester, Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, York, and Hull.
Unfortunately, the timeline for the roll-out remains unclear, as does the pricing.
However, Joby says its expects to offer prices that are ‘comparable with existing premium ground ridesharing options at launch.’
The news comes shortly after a £235,000 flying car that can fly over traffic jams was unveiled to the wolrd.
Alef Aeronautics’ futuristic vehicle can be driven around like a normal car on the streets.
However, it is also packed with propellors in the bonnet and boot that allow it to take off at any time to skip the queue.
The ‘Manchester Hub’ will operate across Manchester, Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, York, and Hull
In February, the company successfully tested the flying car in a city environment for the first time.
Incredible footage showed the car driving forwards a few metres before taking off vertically.
It glided through the air over the car in front of it, before landing on the ground and driving off.
‘This drive and flight test represents an important proof of technology in a real-world city environment,’ said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.
‘We hope it will be a moment similar to the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk video, proving to humanity that new transportation is possible.’