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The goal of bringing air taxis to Tampa Bay
Catherine Hawley reports
Tampa, Fla. – Electric air travel is gaining momentum, and there’s a push to bring it to the Tampa Bay area in the next few years.
A new technology can change transportation, and it is called air taxi. The electric planes offer battery-powered high-speed travel.
“Hillsborough County Aviation Authority General Aviation Director Brett Fay explained.
There is a lot of interest and investment in this technology.
“It’s really happening, and you’re going to start seeing that in the next couple of years,” Fay said.
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No evitol companies have yet received certification from the FAA, but Fey expects that to happen around 2025, not long before passengers take to the skies. Each plane holds three to eight people.
“It’s an exciting new technology and we’re going to make sure we’re ready when it gets certified here at Tampa International Airport and general aviation airports,” Fay said.
The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority has formed a committee to focus on advanced air travel. The group meets monthly and brought together some top industry leaders earlier this year.
It’s unclear which companies will commercialize this fast-growing technology, but the Advanced Aviation Technology Committee wants to be involved when air taxis land in Tampa Bay.
Read: Clearwater asks residents to consider reducing aerial gondola traffic
If you look at an airport like Tampa Executive that’s right in the heart of I-75 and I-4 and close to Hard Rock, you can get there on the Evitol, and you can go to Disney or you can. Go to the beaches in Clearwater or St. Pete, or go to downtown Tampa,” Fay said.
In the year In 2020, plans were announced to build Vertiport in Orlando, one of America’s first urban and regional mobility hubs. Leaders believe the Tampa Bay area could benefit from this new travel route.
“We have a lot of congestion on our roads. And I think the geography of Florida really makes it a natural fit for this type of technology,” Fay said.
The goal is for EVs to eventually become autonomous, and when that happens, vehicle costs are expected to drop. So in theory, people could use air taxis as a daily mode of transportation.
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