Pilotless electric air taxis are slated to be ready for the Brisbane Olympics in 2032

Boeing-owned Wisk Aero expects its pilotless, electric air-taxis to begin carrying passengers "later in the decade".  And they're headed Down Under.

Boeing-owned Wisk Aero expects its pilotless air-taxi to begin carrying passengers "later in the decade".

And in fun news for Aussies, The Australian Government's Austrade site is claiming the self-flying electric air taxis will land in Australia in time for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Wisk has signed "a Memorandum of Understanding" with the Council of Mayors South East Queensland to "to introduce a safe, sustainable and scalable autonomous air taxi service to South East Queensland".

"South East Queensland’s mix of rural, beach and city landscapes makes it the perfect location to trial and launch [these] innovations," says the report on the Australian Government website.

It promises to be much more exciting than your standard Toyota Camry Uber. Picture: Wisk

Wisk is one of several electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft makers that have emerged over the last few years with a promise to provide an environmentally-friendly mode of transport in congested cities. The company is developing a four-seater autonomous aircraft that will have a range of 90 miles (145 km). "We are right now testing and producing the elements of this aircraft that we will hope to fly around the end of this year," CEO Brian Yutko told reporters at the Farnborough Airshow.

Wisk's strategy is a departure from other major air-taxi makers, which are developing models that will require a pilot to fly the aircraft. The company has said operators of its aircraft will save on pilot costs.

But the industry faces technological hurdles such as making batteries powerful enough for companies to make more trips on a single charge. They also need to convince regulators and the public that the aircraft are safe, a barrier that is higher when the aircraft is autonomous.

What exactly are "quiet eVTOLs?"

Think of it as a drone ... but with people in it.

Backed by billions of dollars in venture capital and established aerospace giants that include Boeing and Airbus, startups across the world such as Joby, Archer, Wisk and Lilium are spearheading this technological revolution, developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that could transform the way we travel.

Electric aviation promises to alleviate urban congestion, open up rural areas to emergency deliveries, slash carbon emissions and offer a quieter, more accessible form of short-distance air travel.

One of the Joby electric air taxis. Picture: Supplied

While small electric planes are already flying in a few countries, eVTOLs are designed for shorter hops – the kind a helicopter might make today, only more cheaply and with less impact on the environment. The eVTOL maker Joby purchased Uber Air to someday pair the company’s air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing technology.

In the near term, once eVTOLs are certified to fly as commercial operations, they are likely to serve specific, high-demand routes that bypass road traffic. An example is United Airlines’ plan to test Archer’s eVTOLs on short hops from Chicago to O'Hare International Airport and Manhattan to Newark Liberty International Airport.

The challenge of establishing "4D highways in the sky"

Establishing a “4D highways in the sky” will require comprehensive rules that encompass everything from vehicle safety to air traffic management. For the time being, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is requiring that air taxis include pilots serving in a traditional role. 

This underscores the transitional phase of integrating these vehicles into airspace, highlighting the gap between current capabilities and the vision of fully autonomous flights.

The journey toward autonomous urban air travel is fraught with more complexities, including the establishment of standards for vehicle operation, pilot certification and air traffic control. While eVTOLs have flown hundreds of test flights, there have also been safety concerns after prominent crashes involving propeller blades failing on one in 2022 and the crash of another in 2023. Both were being flown remotely at the time.

The question of who will manage these new airways remains an open discussion – national aviation authorities such as the FAA, state agencies, local municipalities or some combination thereof.

With Reuters and The Conversation 

Originally published as Pilotless electric air taxis are slated to be ready for the Brisbane Olympics in 2032