It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane
The world of old school sci-fi is finally coming together. Thanks to Lilium, the city of Orlando, Florida will be America’s first flying taxi hub. The Munich-based aviation company will begin flight operations in 2025.
Lilium first showcased their technology in 2019, where they revealed the world’s first fully electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet aircraft. The cutting-edge mode of transportation will take-off like a helicopter (vertically) but fly like a plane (horizontally).
The country’s first urban and regional air mobility network will be located in Lake Nona, Orlando. The flying taxi hub will allow travelers to hit the skies within a 186-mile radius in cities like Orlando and Tampa.
The five- seater air taxi shows that “regional high-speed air mobility can be built by private initiative and give communities such as Lake Nona, which can also serve Orlando and arrivals from its international airport, the ability to determine for themselves whether they want a link into a high-speed transportation network.”, according to Dr. Remo Gerber, Chief Operating Officer at Lilium.
The 36 all-electric engine aircraft is said to cost around $70-$80 for a six minute flight time (From JFK airport to Manhattan for example) and according to Morgan Stanley, the air taxi market is expected to be valued at $1.5 trillion per year by 2040.
The relationship between passenger and pilot just got much more intimate.
I am not a financial advisor and my comments should never be taken as financial advice. Investments come with risk, so always do your research and analysis beforehand.