Electric Passenger Drone flying in front of buildings. This is a 3D model and doesn’t exist in real life. 3D illustration
Jakob Thorington
Arizona Capitol Times/
Arizona lawmakers are hoping the state becomes a pioneer in establishing necessary infrastructure to accommodate flying, unmanned taxis as a transportation service in the state within the decade.
Last week, committee members on the Urban Air Mobility Study Committee expressed optimism that aerial drone taxi services could start in the state after hearing presentations from Boeing and Hyundai, two companies that are working on developing air taxis.
“These are not flying cars where anybody just gets in and picks a destination that may or may not be on a map,” said Ben Ivers, Boeing director of autonomous systems regulatory affairs. “These are more like ride share apps that you would go from a pre-described location to another pre-described location.”
Boeing is currently developing Wisk, an electric, automated aircraft that can fly with up to four passengers. Ivers told the committee that the company was targeting 2025 as the year to start passenger flights with Wisk.
The vehicles are designed for short flights of about 25 miles and can speed up to 100 miles per hour. The aircraft takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and flies at a low altitude from about 1,500 to 5,000 feet above the ground.
