Posted on the 3rd March 2026 in PHTM News

FLYING UBER TAXIS SET TO TACKLE LONDON TRAFFIC BY 2030

The dream of soaring over London’s gridlocked streets could become a reality by 2030 as Uber, acting in partnership with Joby Aviation, prepare to launch electric flying taxis.

While Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace is aiming to have its taxis soaring across London’s skyline within two years, Uber’s chief product officer, Sachin Kansal, stated he would be “very disappointed” if the 2030 milestone was not met, noting that “London is going to be a very high priority market.”

The service would use electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which act like a helicopter for takeoff before cruising like a plane at speeds up to 200mph.

This could turn a 90-minute cross-city crawl into a 10-minute hop. “To me, the number one advantage of being able to take that ride is time,” Kansal explained. “Of course, the aircraft itself is going to be an amazing experience, but being able to save an hour is going to be amazing.”

The service is designed to be accessible rather than a luxury for the ultra-rich, with fares expected to be similar to an "Uber Exec" car journey - a 10-mile journey in central London typically costs between £50 and £70 depending on traffic and demand.

Passengers would book via the app and travel between "vertiports" located on rooftops or car parks.

Kansal believes the convenience will be a major draw, stating: “We know our users would love a feature like this, which will help them escape a lot of the traffic and be able to get from their home to the airport within a few minutes rather than hours.”

Despite the excitement, the project faces hurdles including strict safety certifications from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the need for new infrastructure.

Jonathan Nicholson from the CAA confirmed they are “very close” to seeing flying taxis, adding that “as long as it is safe, we will seek to enable it.” 

However, the success of the scheme will ultimately depend on local planning approvals and whether the public feels comfortable swapping four wheels for a flight. Robotaxis have yet to be rolled out on a large scale in the UK and until this is normalised, it remains to be seen how popular self-flying taxis will be.


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