Imagine flying from Bengaluru city to the Airport in just 10 minutes instead of the usual 90.
Say hello to ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ฎ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, an Indian startup founded by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar, and Shivam Chauhan working on ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ that could revolutionise urban transport in the coming years.
The name Sarla Aviation is inspired by Sarla Thakral, the first Indian woman to fly an aircraft, way back in 1936.
โก๏ธ They unveiled the prototype of the air taxi "๐ฆ๐ต๐๐ป๐๐ฎ" at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo earlier this year which works on an ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ง๐ข๐ system.
- eVTOL aircraft can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, which means they donโt need a runway.
- But unlike noisy helicopters, these are powered entirely by electricity.
โก๏ธ Some Salient Features
- Fully electric, eco-friendly and silent
- Charges in just 25 minutes and can fly up to 160 km on a single charge
- Ideal for urban trips of around 20โ30 km
- Fits 6 people comfortably
- Also trying to make it very economical by offering rates somewhere around same as Ola, Uber Taxis or a bit more.
โก๏ธ When is this going to be launched?
- It is planning to launch its services firstly in Bengaluru in 2028 followed by Delhi and Mumbai.
- Centre is working to lay down the groundwork to introduce air taxis by 2026.
- California based Archer Aviation has partnered with Indigo and plans to launch its Air Taxi by 2026.
โก๏ธ What could be possible challenges?
- DGCA complex and evolving requirements often delays testing, approvals.
- Indiaโs current infrastructure may not fully support new aviation models.
- Reliance on imports could affect timelines and cost.
- Another possible challenge could be varied weather and geography condition.
But to be honest, I see huge potential in Air Taxis. You will never be stuck in traffic, if you bring mobility into the air. It is also very capital efficient to roll out the infrastructure bcuz all you need is a flat piece of land to land on.
The only question is that are we ready to be part of this revolution? Would we switch to air taxis in place of roads?ย