Beep Beep! Air Taxis are Coming to a City Near You

TTA Delivers Effective, Efficient, Safe Solutions that Help Ensure the Safety and Airworthiness of multiple types of aircraft

In this ongoing series, Thrust Tech Accessories (TTA) highlights the many different aircraft types around the world. Join us as we explore the roles they play in the industries they serve and the challenges they may see in performing their important duties day-by-day, year-after-year, all across the globe. We also wish to underscore the key role that MROs like TTA play behind-the-scenes in providing overhaul, repair, and modification of engines and airframe accessory components that keep such aircraft flying properly, safely – and long into the future.

Air Taxi Industry is on the Rise, So Why Do We Need Them?

In order to provide transportation for large municipal areas, we already have plenty of traditional “taxis” tooling around town. They include land taxis, like the archetypical Yellow Cab, and ridesharing players like Uber and Lyft. But looking back, taxis for human carriage actually have a long and storied history. Of course we all remember the horse-drawn carriage – if you’re 150 years old! But the idea of taxis goes much further back, all the way to the mid-4th millennium BC!

Back to the present, today we also see water taxis getting us to where we need to go along our waterways. And getting back to the future, it now appears that the “Jetson Factor” is becoming a reality.

While commercial air taxis have yet to take to the skies, there are clear rumblings that there are some pretty big players about to step up to the plate. Among the toe dippers are United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Boeing.

Why the Air Taxi?

Let’s have a closer look at what this emerging trend is all about.

Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) ability will make the air taxi super versatile in small environments, requiring the space of a typical bus stop. But why are air taxis better than all the helicopters that are in operation all around the world?

Well, for one, air taxis VTOL air taxis are to be powered by electricity, which is much more energy-efficient than the fuel-powered engines of helicopters. This means that air taxi VTOLs have longer ranges and can fly for longer periods, reducing the need for multiple refueling stops.

What About Safety and Efficiency

As noted by Nick Zazulia in Avionics International, helicopters typically have a single point of failure, often a main rotor retaining nut called the “Jesus nut.”

With the five experimental air taxi vehicles that Uber’s partner companies are building – all of which are fixed-wing electric or hybrid-electric vehicles – control and thrust can be distributed across the platform so that a single part failure won’t bring it down, said Moore, who spent three decades working at NASA. That redundancy means greater safety.

What Role Will MROs Play in the World of Air Taxis?

While this is all new technology, the aircraft serving the air taxi industry, in the long term, will obviously require parts and accessory maintenance.

Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) service providers will no doubt play a crucial role in the world of air taxis. As air taxi services will rely on fleets of small aircraft to transport passengers, MROs will be key to ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of these vehicles. MROs will provide the necessary maintenance and repair services to keep air taxi aircraft in optimal condition.

Here’s how MROs contribute to the small aircraft industry, i.e. air taxis:

• Safety Compliance: MROs will ensure that air taxi aircraft comply with safety regulations set by aviation authorities. They will conduct regular inspections, repairs, and maintenance to keep the aircraft airworthy and safe for passengers.
• Reliability: Air taxis will operate on tight schedules, often providing on-demand services. MROs help maintain the reliability of the aircraft by performing preventive maintenance and addressing any issues promptly to minimize downtime.
• Efficiency: Efficiency will be crucial for air taxi operations to remain competitive. MROs optimize maintenance schedules and procedures to minimize disruptions to flight schedules while ensuring that aircraft remain in peak operating condition.
• Cost Management: MROs are pros at managing maintenance costs and air taxi operations will be no exception. By identifying potential problems early and implementing timely and cost-effective repair solutions, MROs help operators optimize their maintenance budgets.
• Technology Integration: As air taxi technology evolves, MROs play a key role in integrating new technologies into existing aircraft fleets. Whether it’s upgrading avionics systems, installing new propulsion technologies, or incorporating advanced safety features, MROs ensure that air taxi aircraft stay up-to-date with the latest advancements.

Overall, MROs are to be essential partners in the air taxi ecosystem, supporting the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of fleets and contributing to the growth and sustainability of the air taxi industry.

About Thrust Tech Accessories

Thrust Tech Accessories supports a number of regional airlines across the U.S., along with overseas air carriers and rotorcraft operators in numerous countries around the globe. To find out more about TTA’s wide-ranging capabilities to support your fleet and to obtain competitive program bids, contact us via email at TTAsales@TrustTech.com or by calling 954-984-0450.

Other TTA Blogs in this Series You May Enjoy

Please feel free to review other articles in our series, including the mission of Crop Dusters and other specialty-type aircraft including Kodiak and Pilatus models.

Photo Credit: Waldemar, Unsplash