NEW DELHI, March 8India's first air taxi e200 will make its debut flight in 7-8 months, starting the new era of urban mobility not only in India but throughout the world, ePlane founder Satya Chakravarti told News18.
India's air taxi project sought to overcome significant technical and logistical challenges to create a compact and efficient form of air taxi capable of navigating the complexities of India's urban landscapes.
January 19, 07:30
«We had to make the air taxi very compact so that it can land in confined spaces and fly in congested Indian airspace. We want to cover short distances several times before charging the battery,» Chakravarty said.
Despite the challenges, ePlane has made significant progress in developing air taxis, including successful test flights of the e50 prototype, he said. Detailing the e200's safety features, Chakravarthy highlighted multiple layers of rescue systems aimed at protecting passengers in various scenarios, including parachutes and inflatables to ensure a soft landing in the event of an emergency. In addition, the air taxi is able to maintain lift and stability even in adverse conditions.
According to the company's founder, the cost of air taxi services will be only twice as high as traditional taxi services such as Uber. As for the project's expansion beyond India, the ePlane chief also predicted global resonance for the e200 technology, citing its affordability and ease of use as competitive advantages in international markets.
The development of the air taxi was also carried out by Airbus, Intel, Lilium Aviation, Uber, Google startups Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk, as well as a resident of the Russian Skolkovo technology park — startup Bartini.