Flying taxis are closer than ever to reality. The booming industry needs to overcome infrastructure hurdles.

06.06.2024 - 14:59 / insider.com / United Airlines

The US's first electric vertical-takeoff and -landing aircraft are expected to fly commercial passengers as soon as 2025.

At launch, these zero-emission, piloted air taxis — which take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane — are expected to hop between city centers and major airports as a faster and more efficient alternative to driving. The battery-powered vehicles are also much quieter than the noisy helicopters that commonly fly over densely populated cities.

According to the Royal Aeronautical Society, more than 10,000 eVTOLs are on order worldwide in deals worth some $60 billion.

Carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways, as well as noncommercial operators like the US Air Force, have placed orders for the new type of aircraft.

The investments signal confidence in the futuristic eVTOLs and the burgeoning market for urban air mobility, which JPMorgan analysts have predicted could be worth about $1 trillion by 2040.

However, the widespread commercialization and expansion of eVTOLs will depend on public acceptance and how regulators and operators address infrastructure challenges both on the ground and in the air.

With up to 200 of the US-based Archer Aviation's Midnight aircraft on order, United is expected to operate the US's first commercial eVTOL route starting in 2025.

In June, the aircraft received federal approval to fly commercially as a Part 135 operator, meaning it can run non-scheduled operations like on-demand private charters. It still needs further approvals to fly for airlines like United, but the latest certificate puts it one step closer.

United's planned hopper service is set to fly 10 to 20 minutes between downtown Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, offering an alternative to a drive that often takes more than an hour.

A later, second United eVTOL route is planned between Chicago's city center and O'Hare International Airport.

All the eVTOL destinations have established spots for the electric aircraft to take off from and land on. This type of operation is favored because the landing spots don't take up much space and can be placed near high-density sites such as sports arenas, finance districts, or concert venues.

Archer's chief growth and infrastructure officer, Bryan Bernhard, told Business Insider that Midnight would primarily use these existing heliports or VTOL-specific "vertiports" to start. It also plans to repurpose already-built city infrastructure, such as parking-garage rooftops, as additional landing zones.

Regardless of location, facilities that want to welcome eVTOLs like the Midnight must invest in chargers. Bernhard said Archer's would be expensive to purchase and install but