The hype around air taxis has died down: the development of electrically powered aircraft still needs time and more money. The battery technology for the new plane has also not yet been fully developed, said Bernhard Fragner, the boss of the Hörsching-based private airline GlobeAir. The Upper Austrians put their plans on hold.
Instead of standing in traffic jams from the airport, you can simply leave for the desired destination by electric plane – this is the very shortened offer that should become a reality thanks to air taxis. There was a real hype about the new form of air mobility, but developing the aircraft takes time and money.
Building a flight network in the south of France
So much so that two manufacturers, Lilium and Volocopter, recently revealed that capital is urgently needed. At the same time, Lilium announced that it is working with partners to build a flight network in the south of France and will fly to the Côte d’Azur from 2026.
Bernhard Fragner finds this “unrealistic”. As head of the Hörsching-based private airline GlobeAir, the Upper Austrian has ordered twelve electrically powered air taxis from Lilium. “We are still in contact with them, but we have put our plans on hold,” Fragner said.
The fact that between six and seven million euros are currently paid for a single air taxi makes Fragner hesitate. “Ongoing operations and infrastructure investments in terms of charging capabilities are also extremely expensive,” the GlobeAir boss said.
“Very, very luxurious product”
The prices that are becoming apparent and will likely continue to rise will likely make air taxis a “very, very luxurious product.” Battery technology is also progressing more slowly than expected: “We hope for the best that the engineers still have one or two brilliant ideas.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
