How Much Will It Cost to Fly on eVTOL Air Taxis?

Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are years away from entering service, but the discussion is already under way about passenger prices.

Thom Patterson

Friday, October 22, 2021 at 12:32 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

eVTOL companies project passenger fares ranging from $2.25 to $11 per mile, but aviation experts view these projections as highly optimistic given the enormous capital and complexities involved in simultaneously building aircraft manufacturing and airline operations.
Actual passenger prices will be significantly influenced by factors such as incorporating "end-to-end" ground transportation costs to vertiports, the challenge of achieving high aircraft utilization with an on-demand rideshare model, and the expenses associated with training specialized pilots.
While investors are betting billions, industry consultants suggest eVTOLs may initially serve a niche market similar to high-end black car services or current helicopter taxis, rather than mass urban commuters, with many companies likely failing despite potential technological advancements for the rotorcraft industry.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis are years from being commercially available, but that’s not keeping people from asking: How much will passengers be asked to pay to fly on these new aircraft?

Altogether, investors have been betting billions of dollars on eVTOL companies like Joby Aviation, Lilium, Volocopter and others that are promising to build an entirely new form of convenient, safe, and environmentally friendly urban transportation.