Rome Airport, in cooperation with a German startup, plans to enable travelers to Rome from 2024 to fly to the center of the Italian capital using flying taxis.
Startup Volocopter hopes to make Fiumicino Airport a leading site for its battery-powered two-seater, rotary-blade flying taxis, Reuters reported.
Aeroporte di Roma chief executive Marco Troncone said a trip in one of these vertical take-off and landing vehicles would take about 15 minutes, compared to 45 minutes or more by car.
Troncone added that the initial cost of the trip would be around 150 euros ($175), a price that is likely to drop as the service expands.
He continued:
Connectivity will be very fast, it will be a silent ride, and emissions will be zero.
For his part, Christian Bauer, chief commercial officer of the company, said that Volocopter, which was founded in 2011, hopes to obtain a commercial aviation license from the European Aviation Safety Agency within three years, and then start operations.
A study by the Aviation Safety Agency showed that Rome is the third most convenient European city after Paris – where Volocopter plans to operate its services in time for the Olympics – and Berlin, to develop air taxis.