CityAirbus NextGen Air Taxi to Fly Over Italian Cities

And we’re not talking here about road-going vehicles alone, but about those taking to the sky as well. Apart for the rapidly growing push for more sustainable fuels, the aviation industry is looking to greatly expand its already huge reach by creating something we generally call urban air mobility (UAM).

Several companies, including carmakers, are now working on the hardware, software, and other adaptations for making UAM a reality. Spearheading the movement is a relatively new type of aircraft family called electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL).

Airbus is working on one too, and it’s called CityAirbus NextGen. Shown with some details in September last year, the aircraft is supposed to be able to fly for 80 km (50 miles) on a single battery charge, and at speeds of 120 kph (75 mph). Coming into the world as a fixed-wing machine with a V-shaped tail, the CityAirbus moves courtesy of eight electrically powered propellers, and will be capable of carrying four passengers, pilot included.

With the first flight planned for 2023, the company behind it is looking for ways to make it available for public use as fast as possible. Part of that plan, Airbus announced this week a partnership with Italian airline ITA Airways to figure out the best solutions for the rollout of what is essentially an air taxi.

ITA is brand now on the aviation scene, having been established last year, but it already has orders with Airbus for A220s, A320neos, A330neos, and the A350.