Flying Taxis Officially Lift Off – But Only In China, Thank Biden’s FAA

China has approved the use of large drones as commercial taxis.  A passenger gets in the cabin, mashes a button, and the drone flies to the destination.  It’s completely automatic.

The article sarcastically thanks the FAA under President Biden for not approving this technology in the US.  The FAA should sincerely be thanked for their caution. 

China can work out the bugs in this new technology, the US does not need to be the test case.

Battery-powered drones have a limited range and are expensive.  The best case for a drone taxi is short flights with wealthy passengers where conventional transportation is difficult. Drone taxis make the most sense in dense, thriving cities with inadequate transportation.  A risk-averse population could doom the enterprise.

Americans like adventure, but not in commercial aviation.  We expect mundane activities to be safe and reliable.  When an accident inevitably occurred, the company would be sued.  Surrendering all control to the vehicle’s computer, would be difficult for many people.

Asian or Middle Eastern cities with high population densities would have more use for drone taxis.  When the technology is tested and accepted, the FAA can consider signing off.