India’s air taxi plan gets going, work begins towards 2026 take-off

NEW DELHI: The aviation ministry has set in motion the urban air mobility project with the setting up several technical committees to pave the way for India’s first air taxi to take-off by 2026, as was being planned for some time.

The project has been of high interest for Narendra Modi, who most pollsters have predicted to come back to power in thumping fashion tomorrow. The committees set up by the DGCA will chart the course for the introduction of air taxis in the nation -- starting with Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru -- by 2026, ToI reported on Monday. There are plans to expand to cities such as Chennai and Hyderabad at a later phase, ToI’s report said.

Once India establishes regulations for various facets of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, IndiGo’s parent company, InterGlobe Enterprises (IGE), will begin developing the necessary infrastructure in collaboration with the American air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation.

The report cited sources to say that in terms of regulatory preparedness for eVTOL services for urban air mobility, India will be ahead of the curve.

An Archer team has already met with Indian aviation authorities regarding the programme’s rollout in the country. InterGlobe Enterprises (IGE) is in regular contact with the regulator for this initiative. IGE’s chief, Rahul Bhatia, has placed an order for 200 Midnight air taxis from Archer, valued at approximately one billion dollars. Archer aims to commence operations in the US, starting with New York and Chicago, next year.