Flying taxis may soon become available to the public, thanks to start-up companies like Lilium, who are working continuously on making that dream come true. Lilium has recently announced plans for its first transport hub, dubbed vertiport, in the US. It will be the first of a network hoped to expand across the entire state.
The company’s first vertiport, planned for Orlando’s Lake Nona region in Florida, will function as passenger stations for people to hop in and out of its fully-electric flying taxis as they come and go, with a capacity of up to five people on board.
The Lilium Jet can travel 186 miles (300 km) per charge, which is enough to fly to different regions across Florida. Lilium has joined forces with the City of Orlando and Tavistock to develop the first vertiport, which will resemble the iconic local art.
Buddy Dye, the Mayor of Orlando, said:
I’m thrilled that our progressive and collaborative environment has created an opportunity for this unique partnership between the City of Orlando, Lilium, and Lake Nona to invest in the expansion of safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation options throughout one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.
Lilium’s vision goes beyond Orlando. The company has developed various standard vertiport designs that can be integrated into existing infrastructure or assembled on empty sites. Also, the hubs can be pre-assembled off-site to lower costs and construction times.
Lilium plans to launch the first hub in Lake Nona in 2025 and hopes to have its flying taxi service up and running worldwide in that same year. However, these types of aviation stations, including the one planned for Orlando, will need to be approved first by authorities, such as the US Federal Aviation Administration. The jet will also require approval before lifting off with any passengers.
