World’s first electric air taxis set to take flight in Singapore by 2023

Name: German ‘flying taxi’ makes its debut with test flight in Singapore
Uploaded: 2020-12-09T23:00:05.000Z
Duration: 1 min 3 s
Description: German ‘flying taxi’ makes its debut with test flight in Singapore

Volocopter will initially carry a pilot and one customer, though services could switch to two passengers once nod for autonomous operation is received

The first commercial route is likely to fly tourists over Singapore’s Marina Bay, offering spectacular views of the skyline

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A Volocopter air taxi flies over Singapore’s Marina Bay during a test flight in October 2019. Photo: Xinhua

Bloomberg

Published: 7:00am, 10 Dec 2020Updated: 7:00am, 10 Dec 2020

Singapore is set to host the world’s first electric-powered air taxi service by the end of 2023, according to Volocopter GmbH, which is developing the vertical-take-off craft.

The German manufacturer is committed to starting operations within three years once it completes flight trials, evaluation and certification in collaboration with the city state, it said in a statement on Wednesday. Tickets for a 15-minute trip costing 300 euros (US$362) are already on sale.

Volocopter completed a demonstration flight over Singapore’s Marina Bay area in October last year, and the first commercial route is likely to fly tourists over the same district, offering spectacular views of the skyline, the company said. Later services could including cross-border journeys.

Singapore is at the forefront of plans to introduce flying taxis thanks to a more welcoming regulatory regime than in some other countries. While the craft could replace helicopters and light aircraft on some routes, they’d also be small and nimble enough to fly deep within cities and land with minimal space.

“Singapore is renowned for its leading role in adapting and living new technologies,” Volocopter Chief Executive Officer Florian Reuter said, adding that local capabilities in battery research, material science and route validation for autonomous operations will be central to the project.

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German ‘flying taxi’ makes its debut with test flight in Singapore

Volocopter, which counts computer chip manufacturer Intel and carmakers Daimler and Geely as investors, plans to set up a team of 50 pilots, engineers and operations specialists to support the Singapore flights.