United Airlines to buy 200 flying electric taxis for airport runs

United Airlines plans to buy 200 flying electric taxis and hopes to fly passengers to the airport within the next five years.

United Airlines will invest in flying taxi firm Archer as part of an £800m ($1.1bn) deal to develop the aircraft, which will also need regulatory approval before the purchase can go ahead.

United Airlines is teaming up with Mesa Airline, a US regional carrier based in California, to buy Archer’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as part of a $1bn order. The deal is seen as a stamp of approval for start-up company Archer, which said it will launch its shares on the US stock market following the deal with other investors like carmaker Stellantis, the new company formed last month by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA Group.

The vertical flying taxis will be capable of flying a distance of 60miles (95km) at 150 miles per hour (240km/h) and could nearly halve carbon-dioxide emissions for passengers travelling to the airport.

“With the right technology we can curb the impact aircraft have on the planet, but we have to identify the next generation of companies who will make this a reality early and find ways to help them get off the ground,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement.

Because of the pandemic airlines have been forced to slash costs as planes have been grounded during the travel slump, but used the pandemic as an opportunity to use these stimulus funds to develop carbon-neutral air travel. United Airlines lost more than $7bn last year and has relied on US government aid to avoid laying off thousands of workers.

Volocopter, another flying taxi firm is planning journeys into city centres using its Volocity electric air taxi although Uber sold off its flying taxi unit Elevate in December.