- UK plans piloted air taxis by 2025, autonomous by 2030
- Crime-fighting drones, 999 deliveries expected by decade’s end
- Drones to boost economy by £45 billion, enhance public services
By the decade’s end, the Future of Flight Action Plan also anticipates the widespread implementation of crime-fighting drones and critical 999 care deliveries.
A piloted hovering taxi could be operational in the United Kingdom within two years.
The Future of Flight action plan, published by the Department for Transport (DfT), includes a proposal to operate taxis without pilots present by the year 2030.
In addition, it has been projected that crime-fighting drones and critical 999 care deliveries will be utilized routinely by the end of the decade.
The “roadmap” or, more precisely, “flight plan” would involve the implementation of technology “formerly confined to the realm of science fiction,” as stated by the DfT. Drone technology will contribute £45 billion to the country’s economy by 2030.
Aviation and Technology Minister Anthony Browne stated, “This plan will ensure that the necessary infrastructure and regulations are in place to actualize the transformative potential of cutting-edge battery technology in the transportation industry.”
By utilizing emergency service drones and operating taxis, we are positioning the United Kingdom as a leader in this paradigm-shifting transportation revolution, enhancing living conditions and stimulating economic growth.
In November of last year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams introduced a comparable strategy across the Atlantic Ocean: implementing electric air taxis for transportation to and from the city’s airports by 2025/26.
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By permitting drones to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), the proposals would enable the sector to expand without impeding the passage of other aircraft.
Additionally, their objective is to rejuvenate lesser aerodromes by developing vertiport systems that accommodate electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
The objectives are to expand upon existing applications of drone technology, including the one implemented by West Midlands Police to combat violent crime and antisocial conduct.
A drone team identified two offenders and an additional suspect in July 2023 at a distance and velocity that would have required hours for ground officers to track down.
Skyfarer, a provider of drone services to the NHS, has formed partnerships with Medical Logistics UK and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust to evaluate the viability of drones for inter-site delivery of surgical implants and pathology samples, thereby reducing delivery times by as much as 70%.
