FutureFlight On The Radar
Are Air Taxis Ready For Prime Time? Let's Ask Lufthansa
A new market study from the German flagcarrier casts a dispassionate eye on the prospects for the much-vaunted urban air mobility sector.

An intriguing report issued this week from German airline group Lufthansa poses the question: Are air taxis ready for prime time? Given the company’s semi-detached perspective on a new transportation sector that stands to complement, and to some degree supplant, conventional air transportation, its assessment is refreshingly candid and analytical. It cannot be accused of being a vector for the intoxicating hype engulfing this sector.

In “A Data-driven Report on the State of Air Taxis in 2021,” analysts from the Lufthansa Innovation Hub and Lufthansa Technik look at the potential for passenger-carrying eVTOL aircraft through multiple lenses. They consider media coverage, academic research, investment patterns, and patent filings, and highlight peaks and potential troughs.