A California startup making flying taxis received a $10 million deposit from United Airlines Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: UAL) with the intention of transporting passengers to and from the airport by air.
The development of the air taxis is ongoing at Archer Aviation Inc (NYSE: ACHR) with the company hoping to receive regulatory approval and be in use by 2024.
Orbit City: The 1962 animated sitcom "The Jetsons" featured a family of four that live in the year 2062 when travel by flying car, space board and a pneumatic tube is the norm.
An interesting fact about this is George Jetson, the father in the show, is believed by fans to have been born on July 31, 2022, which just passed. With United's investment in Archer in 2022, flying taxis might be the norm by the time Jetson was 40 in 2062.
The Archer air taxi is "electric vertical takeoff and landing," or eVTOL. Archer says the air taxis will be able to get to a speed of 150 miles per hour and fly up to 60 miles. The aircraft will take off similarly to a helicopter, and then use conventional wings to maintain flight.
According to the company's website, its air taxis would be able to land on helicopter pads as well as more basic infrastructure, such as the tops of parking garages.
Archer also stated the eVTOLs will be quieter than conventional helicopters, and quieter than the background noise of a downtown urban area.
Archer has raised close to $1 billion.
Read more: This Tesla Did Not Have Wings, But Could It One Day?
What's Next: Archer CEO Adam Goldstein said to CNN last week that he hopes to receive all necessary regulatory approval by 2024.
"We want to be very careful. We want to be very measured, we've come a long way from where we were just a mere decade ago."
United said using the aircraft to ferry passengers on quick journeys to and from the airport may "reduce CO2 emissions by 47% on a trip between Hollywood and Los Angeles International Airport."
Photo: Courtesy Wiki Commons fair use/Archer Aviation
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