Uber, flying taxis… and bad reputations
Uber has launched, in its event Uber Elevate 2018, the prototype flying taxi it says it intends to start testing in 2020 in Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles, with plans to rollout the service globally by 2023.
Which is all well and good: it’s clear that the entry barriers to air transport are disappearing rapidly and that the flying taxi will be a reality sooner rather than later: Uber intends to start with human pilots, but evolve into autonomous flight systems quickly. As this transition takes place, the system’s capacity will increase and operational costs will be reduced, meaning that an air taxi will pretty much cost the same as its bog standard Uber X.
However, there is a problem: Uber, a company with a short life and a long history of regulatory problems and non-compliance, along with the dubious honor of being responsible for killing a pedestrian as a result of cutting corners when road testing one of its self-driving vehicles. As a result, the FAA has announced a zero tolerance policy with companies that do not comply with rules and standards that have meant no commercial flights suffered an accident for the last four years. In other words, Uber can announce what it likes, but in the United States, nothing leaves the ground without the FAA’s say-so.
Uber’s targets are nothing if not ambitious: it wants its aerial taxis to be able to fly at speeds of between 240 km/h and 320 km/h, at altitudes of between 300 and 600 meters. It says they make about the same noise as a truck. They will take off and land from specially designed facilities or modified roofs, approximately every 24 seconds. They could also use other buildings, or on the ground in specially designated areas, and are being touted as a solution to traffic problems.
From a strictly technological point of view, this kind of air transport is sufficiently mature. Making it profitable will economies of scale and making it an affordable alternative to a taxi. Given its past, Uber will also likely face more rigorous inspection. In this case, as with others, Uber is about to discover the cost of a bad reputation.
Possibly, by 2023, we may well have to get used to the idea of autonomous flying taxis and other aerial vehicles. Whether they will belong to Uber or other companies that have shown greater responsibility and common sense is another matter.
(En español, aquí)
