Chicago Puts AirTaxis into Acceleration

 Windy City Air Taxi Testing Underway

                                            Source: Eve

Chicago Accelerates the Dawn of Cities With Flying Taxis

In what appears to be a world first, Embraer's Eve eVTOLs have been participating in real-world simulated test flights in Chicago, using helicopters as substitutes for the eVTOL flying taxis.  The test program is called the Chicago XP program and it has been taking place throughout September 2022.  So far, it is quite a success.  The helicopters, which take off and land vertically like an eVTOL which are not authorized yet to fly, have been operating out of three Chicago area heliports.  Passengers are able to use tablets with special software to see how the eVTOLs and vertiports in real, operational mode would look and work.

Why the Simulations?

Eve air taxis will be ready to go into fully operational service by 2026, pending regulatory clearance by the FAA and other aviation authorities.  The Chicago simulations are providing important data on what regulatory requirements and infrastructure will be needed for the new, urban mobility networks containing flying taxis to be safe, convenient, reliable as well as seamlessly fit into existing transportation patterns. 

Potential Big Business

There are estimates that just the city of Chicago could support 240 eVTOLs, flying 150 routes from 20 vertiports.  By 2035, air taxis could be a $222 million yearly business in Chicago.  Eve is working with helicopter operator Blaze on the Chicago project.  They're charging passengers $95.00 per flight.  Eve believes that is what they will be charging passengers for air taxi flights in 2026.  65 passengers have participated in the Chicago program thus far. And reviews are very good

New Form of Urban Travel

Chicago's XP program is helping to usher in the dawn of a multibillion-dollar, new form of urban air mobility for cities around the world.  A number of other emerging eVTOL companies like Germany's Lilium and California's Joby Aviation are in direct competition with Embraer's Eve for a big piece of the UAM market now emerging in the US, Europe, Asia and elsewhere.