In the not-too-distant future, will we be able to cut traffic jams "out of the air"? This week, for the first time in Israeli skies, test flights were conducted using autonomous electric drones, designed to transport heavy cargo and also fly passengers from one place to another. The test flights were conducted as part of the "National Drone Initiative", which began about three years ago and was led by the Ministry of Transport, Netivei Israel, the Innovation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority. Its goal is to prepare the technological and regulatory infrastructure in Israel for the use of drones for deliveries, transportation of goods and transportation service.
First Aerial Taxi Test – The National Drone Initiative // Photo: B.Y Productions and Content
The test flights this week were conducted at the helipad in Caesarea and at the Yemen field in the Beer Sheva area. In Caesarea, the drone company Dronery flew an innovative EH-216 aircraft developed by the Chinese company EHANG. This is actually a "flying taxi" designed for two passengers, capable of carrying up to 220 kg and flying a distance of about 30 km at a cruising speed of 130 km / h and a maximum speed of 160 km / h. In the test flight this week, the aircraft took off and flew for 2.2 kilometers. In March, Dronery, which develops courier and air transportation services in the urban space, participated in an experiment examining the use of drones to transport blood units from Rambam Hospital in Haifa to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya.
The second test flight, held at the Yemen airport, used a blue-and-white drone, AIR ZERO. This aircraft can carry up to two passengers and cargo with a total weight of up to 250 kg, and fly a distance of up to 160 kilometers. Israeli company AIR is currently in the process of obtaining an aviation license for its aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and expects to begin supplying its first aircraft to customers as early as next year.
Fly up to 160 km. The flying taxi, photo: Mark Nomdar
The national drone initiative began in 2019, with the first phase focusing on small payloads, while the second phase, which began in January of this year, aims to increase carrying weights and ranges, so that heavier cargo and passengers can be flown in the future. Over the past three years, the project, in which dozens of companies from the Israeli drone industry participate, has carried out more than 19,000 sorties over urban and frontier spaces.
Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, said that Israel is one of the leaders in this field in the world. "The test is an important milestone in the national drone initiative and Israel is internationally recognized for being one of the world's leaders in the field." Orly Stern, CEO of Ayalon Highways, added, "The goal of the project is to provide a variety of technological solutions to ease congestion on the roads. The aircraft currently being tested will be able to bypass traffic jams and ease congestion by taking vehicles and trucks off the roads."
Designed for two passengers. The Flying Taxi, Photo: Mark Nomdar
First flying taxis in Paris, Chicago and Dubai
Most of us probably remember the flying cars from the legendary Back to the Future film series from the late 2024s. Now, it seems that this futuristic vision is about to be realized in the coming years, and there are a number of cities in the world that want to make history. Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games in the summer of <>, organizers announced that they intend to carry out a first-of-its-kind pilot during the Games, using flying taxis to transport people between the airport and various sites in the Olympic Village.
In 2025, American Airlines and Archer Aviation will launch a four-passenger flying taxi service in Chicago, which will fly airline customers, within ten minutes, from the airport to the city center, and vice versa. The airline has already purchased about 200 flying taxis from Archer for $2026 billion. The UAE also wants to be one of the first cities to inaugurate an urban air transport service. Dubai recently announced that in <> the city will launch a flying taxi service, manufactured by Joby Aviation, which will link four stations throughout the city.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us
