What is an Air Taxi?

What is an air taxi?

An air taxi is an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft designed for short urban passenger journeys. It takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter, is powered entirely by electricity, and carries between 1 and 6 passengers depending on the aircraft.

Air taxis fly at low altitude — typically 150–600 metres — directly above city traffic, covering routes in 4–15 minutes that would take 30–90 minutes by road. The first commercial air taxi service launched in Shenzhen, China in 2024, operated by EHang.

How does an air taxi work?

eVTOL air taxis use multiple small electric rotors — typically 6 to 12 — to lift off and land vertically. Unlike a conventional helicopter with one large rotor, the distributed propulsion system makes eVTOLs significantly quieter and safer.

The journey

• You book your air taxi through an app or booking platform, selecting your departure and arrival vertiport
• Arrive at your vertiport — a small elevated platform at an airport, rooftop or purpose-built site
• Board your aircraft (no security queue, no check-in)
• Fly directly to your destination at 110–320 km/h depending on aircraft
• Land at the destination vertiport and continue your journey

Vertiports

A vertiport is the air taxi equivalent of a bus stop or taxi rank — a small landing and charging facility. Vertiports are being built at airports, major business districts, transport hubs and key urban locations. Each city launching air taxi services will have 2–10 vertiports in the initial network.

How much does an air taxi cost?

Air taxi fares during initial commercial operations are estimated in the range of premium ride-hailing prices — comparable to an Uber Black or airport transfer, not a commercial flight.

• London (Heathrow → Canary Wharf): £90–£160 per seat
• Dubai (DXB → Downtown): $60–$130 per seat
• New York (JFK → Manhattan): $130–$180 per seat
• São Paulo (GRU → Paulista): R$650–R$1,200 per seat
• Shenzhen (live now): ¥299–¥599 per seat

Prices are expected to fall significantly as fleets scale, battery costs reduce, and autonomous operations remove the pilot cost. Industry projections suggest air taxi fares could reach parity with ride-hailing within a decade.

Is an air taxi safe?

eVTOL air taxis are designed and certified to the same rigorous standards as commercial aircraft. Every operator must obtain type certification from their national aviation authority before carrying fare-paying passengers.

• Multiple redundant systems — if one rotor or battery fails, the aircraft can still land safely
• Automated flight management — onboard computers handle most flight operations
• Rigorous certification — FAA, EASA, CAAC and other regulators apply the same standards as commercial aviation
• Track record — EHang has completed 100,000+ commercial passenger flights without incident

When will air taxis be available?

• Now — Shenzhen, China (EHang EH216-S)
• H2 2026 — Dubai (Joby Aviation), Abu Dhabi (Joby Aviation)
• Late 2026 — New York, Miami (Archer / Joby)
• 2026 — Paris (Volocopter), São Paulo (Eve Air Mobility), Seoul (K-UAM)
• Q1 2027 — Singapore (Volocopter)
• 2027 — London (Vertical Aerospace), Tokyo (ANA + Joby), Amsterdam, Munich
• 2028 — Los Angeles (Archer, LA28 Olympics), Mumbai, Delhi

View all 38+ air taxi cities →

How do I book an air taxi?

For cities where air taxis are already operating (currently Shenzhen), you can book via the operator's app or booking platform. For all other cities, pre-register free on Air Taxi Service and we'll notify you the moment flights launch — no payment required.

Air taxi vs helicopter

Air taxis and helicopters both offer urban point-to-point travel, but air taxis have several key advantages:

• 5–10× quieter than a helicopter (45–65 dB vs 85–95 dB)
• Zero direct emissions vs significant fuel burn
• Significantly cheaper — helicopter charters typically cost £800–£2,000+ per trip vs £90–£160 for an air taxi seat
• More frequent — designed for high-frequency scheduled service, not one-off charters
• Safer by design — multiple redundant rotors vs single-point-of-failure helicopter tail rotor

Environmental impact

eVTOL air taxis have zero direct (tailpipe) emissions. Their overall carbon footprint depends on the electricity source used to charge them:

• Renewable electricity: ~2g CO₂/passenger-km (vs 171g for petrol car)
• UK grid average: ~79g CO₂/passenger-km
• US average grid: ~131g CO₂/passenger-km

Even on an average grid, air taxis produce less CO₂ per passenger-km than a single-occupancy car. On renewable electricity, the saving is over 98%. Use our CO₂ calculator →