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Driverless flying taxis unveiled by Airbus in bid to beat rush hour traffic

Airbus has revealed the latest version of its flying 'intracity' taxi, which runs entirely on electricity and should shave hours off commutes by landing in cities with very little noise pollution

If you're one of the thousands of people in the UK who have a 90-minute-plus commute, there's good news. Your commute might be about to get much quicker, thanks to a new electric 'flying taxi'.

Airbus which makes passenger planes for the likes of British Airways and Emirates have unveiled their latest flying taxi.

Dubbed the 'CityAirbus', this zero-emission electric aircraft can carry four passengers up to 74 miles per hour at a range of 50 miles.

As an eVTOL, it can take off and land vertically almost anywhere, making it perfect for travel between Britain's crowded towns and cities.

[Airbus reveals new version of its CityAirbus which can fly quietly over urban areas]

The CityAirbus is designed to cut out the daily commute by just flying over traffic(Image: Airbus)

What's more, thanks to its electric motor, it's quiet enough that it can fly through cities at sound levels lower than 65 decibels, making it just about as loud as a hair dryer.

Best of all, the CityAirbus can be piloted remotely, meaning you won't have to have any boring conversations with an awkward cabbie.

The aircraft is an upgraded version of the original CityAirbus that was first debuted in 2020, which was seen as a way of totally bypassing busy traffic by simply flying over it.

[Airbus reveals new version of its CityAirbus which can fly quietly over urban areas]

The flying taxi will be quieter than a hairdryer(Image: Airbus)

The idea is that people would be able to take off and land from the rooftops of their workplaces or even local air taxi stations, without the need for big, loud runways.

The new CityAirbus is not the first flying taxi to be announced. Companies around the world are racing to do test flights on their own versions of the Jetsons-style vehicles so that they can secure licensing for use in public areas.

[NASA's own air taxi, which it began test flights of this month]

NASA's own air taxi, which it began test flights of this month(Image: NASA)

Earlier this month, NASA began real-world testing of its own all-electric flying taxis in partnership with company Joby, which has developed an eVTOL with a range of 150 miles. NASA believes governments are concerned about sound pollution and safety above all else, which is why extensive testingand silent electric motors like that of the CityAirbuscould be the solution.

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