Flying 150mph taxis could take to UK skies in just 2 YEARS after major milestone

FLYING taxis could be a reality for UK skies in just two years’ time – as the electric vehicles advance into the next stage of production. This would mark the first new aircraft to be designed and built in the country in more than 30 years. The six-passenger flying taxi might debut in two years time Credit: Alamy Live News. The company is now looking for locations for its production hubs Credit: Vertical Aerospace/PA Wire Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace has announced that it is in“advanced” discussions with the government on a funding package to support its first production sites in the UK. The company is now scoping out locations on where it will build its Valo aircraft and their batteries. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! A final decision is expected by the end of the year. The aircraft operate through a vertical take-off and landing, designed to soar up to 100 miles and reaching speeds of 150mph. Claiming to “reduce travel-times to minutes” with “zero operating emissions”, one proposed route for the six-passenger vehicle would take a typical 52 minute road journey from Battersea to London Heathrow Airport to just 8 minutes. Vertical Aerospace previously said that planned destinations for its flying taxis also included London’s Canary Wharf, as well as Heathrow and Gatwick airports, Cambridge, Oxford and Bicester. The aircraft are expected to launch with a four-seat cabin, with room for six passengers and cabin baggage as well as panoramic windows. If approved, the flying taxis could enter service as early as 2028. Most read in Motors Stuart Simpson, chief executive of Vertical Aerospace, said the announcement was “a major vote of confidence” from the government. He added: “The UK has backed us from the earliest stages of the programme, and today’s proposed support helps create a clear pathway from innovation to industrial scale-up. “It means we will continue to create high-value jobs, strengthen Britain’s advanced manufacturing base, and build aircraft that will be exported to customers around the world.” The firm also said that production in the UK is expected to create around 700 jobs by 2030. Comment now