Airbus develops a new generation of air taxi

A European aircraft manufacturer has announced that it will start development of a new electric urban air transport vehicle. The next generation CityAirbus will be electrically powered and therefore zero emission, It can carry four passengers up to a maximum range of 80 kilometres at a cruising speed of 120 kilometres per hour.

The fixed-wing aircraft will have a V-shaped control surface and eight propellers, and will be able to switch between vertical take-off and landing and horizontal flight modes without moving or tilting the wing surfaces. The new generation of CityAirbus is designed to have an external noise level below 65 decibels in flight and 70 decibels on landing, and to meet the most stringent regulatory certification requirements (EASA SC-VTOL Enhanced Category).

The first flight of the CityAirbus NextGen prototype is scheduled for 2023, with the regulatory approvals for entry into service expected around 2025.