In 2024, flying taxis will take off in Singapore

For many years, the city-state of Singapore has been recognized globally for being a testing laboratory for smart mobility. There are several goals planned by 2030: from the extension of the subway network by 2029 - which will increase from 230 to 360 km - to the Vehicle-to-everything project, which aims to make all cars with autonomous driving systems by 2025. But that’s not all: Singapore is investing in flying taxis, small helicopters with multiple rotor blades, which in the local airport Seletar may become reality in 2 years.

Thanks to the agreement signed with Volocopter, a German start-up active in aero mobility, Singapore plans to extend the service throughout Asean by 2030 for tourists’ mobility or for intercity travels. Unlike traditional helicopters, flying taxis are electric and silent, they take off and land vertically in small spaces, they are safer and cheaper. It is estimated, in fact, that a helicopter flight costs around 2,500 dollars, while the flying taxi will reduce this cost by 70% in 5-7 years. However, the biggest challenge to the project is the legislative framework and the safety tests, which provide an outcome only in the first half of 2024.