Air taxis could soon be coming to South Florida to tackle growing traffic issues
By Ari Hait
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Florida (WPBF) — Air taxis could soon be coming to the skies over south Florida as a way for residents to combat the growing traffic congestion on local roads.
At a Wednesday news conference in Miami, a company called Archer Aviation unveiled its plan to bring the air taxis to the area in 2026.
“This is the kind of stuff that legends are made of,” Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said during an event unveiling the eVTOL, which stands for electric vertical takeoff and landing.
“It takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies forward like an airplane,” said Melissa McCaffrey, Archer Aviation’s Head of Government Affairs.
Archer Aviation plans to use the eVTOLs as air taxis, capable of carrying four passengers and a pilot over traffic.
“This is not science fiction anymore, guys. This is not the Jetsons. This is real,” Suarez said.
The air taxis will be based in Miami and will fly to multiple locations, including airports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach.
They will also have landing areas at Hard Rock Stadium and the Apogee golf course in Hobe Sound.
Archer Aviation has partnered with Related Ross to bring the air taxis to a still unnamed spot in downtown West Palm Beach.
“Having a new component to the mobility network here in Palm Beach County is very exciting for us to be a part of,” said Jordan Rathlev, Executive Vice-President of Related Ross.
Archer plans to start with a few taxis and increase the number as demand grows. While the specific cost for a ride has not been released, Archer believes it will be comparable to rideshares like Uber and Lyft.
The goal is to transform hours spent sitting in traffic into a ten or twenty-minute ride in the sky.
“These kinds of solutions are essential for quality of life, otherwise we’re all going to be going crazy,” Suarez said.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
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