State Government plans to launch Air-taxis in the city

BENGALURU: As per the state government, Bengaluru might soon be the first city to have air-taxis in the country, if everything goes according to the plan.

A feasibility study will be conducted to explore the possibilities of having the electric air-taxi service in the city, sources at the urban development department have said.

Mobility firms such as McFly.aero and HeliTaxi have been given in-principle approval for performing the study.

McFly.aero, which is a London-based firm, has already deployed air-taxis in Moscow, Tarusa and Dubai, and is also planning to do the same in Singapore and London. The company, in collaboration with the urban development department, is planning to build 200 landing pads on high rises and other places in Bengaluru. However, only four of these pads have been certified by the directorate general of civil aviation, ministry of civil aviation.

Across the world, more than 150 firms are operating Air-taxis, which have a seating capacity of four with a total payload capacity of 400kg. They are capable of reaching an altitude of 1,000 metres and fly at a speed of 300km per hour.

On March 28, an urban lab conference is said to be launched by McFly.aero along with HeliTaxi for air mobility in Bangalore.

Waseef Akhtar and Sumanth Kedilaya, strategic consultants, McFly.aero had said, "The rapidly growing urban population exerts pressure on the transport system. The resultant deterioration in the system will be reflected in lower economic productivity which is why urgent measures are necessary to tackle this problem. There is a need for inter-modal transportation system. Entrepreneurs must take charge of the possibilities of deploying this quantum leap in technology and flying cars over populated areas in Bengaluru."