Flying taxis could be taking off within two years under new drone plan

The first driverless flying taxi could be taking to UK skies within two years.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has published its Future of Flight Action Plan, which also proposes flying taxis without pilots by 2030.

It also predicts that crime-fighting drones and critical 999 care services will be in regular use by the end of the decade.

The Department for Transport said a “roadmap” – or more accurately a flight plan – would mean adopting a technology “once restricted to the realm of science fiction”, with drone technology set to transform the country’s economy by 2030. growth of £45 billion.

Aviation and Technology Minister Anthony Brown said: “Cutting-edge battery technology will revolutionize transport as we know it – this plan will ensure we have the right infrastructure and regulation in place to make it a reality.

“From flying taxis to emergency services drones, we’re ensuring the UK is at the forefront of a sea change in transport, improving people’s lives and boosting the economy.”

Across the Atlantic, New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a similar plan last November to use electric air taxis to fly people to and from the city’s airport by 2025/26.

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The proposals would allow drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) so the industry can grow without restricting the skies for other aircraft.

They also aim to reinvigorate small airports by laying out how they can be operated as vertical takeoff and landing sites for electric aircraft that take off vertically, known as electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL aircraft.

The scheme aims to build on current applications of drone technology, such as its use by West Midlands Police to tackle violent crime and anti-social behaviour.

In July 2023, a drone team successfully identified two criminals and another suspect at a speed and distance that would have taken officials on the ground hours to track.

In the NHS, drone service provider Skyfarer is working with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and UK Healthcare Logistics to test drones delivering surgical implants and pathology samples between sites, reducing delivery times Reduced by up to 70%.