From New York to Lagos, Tokyo to Istanbul, the story is the same: millions of productive man-hours lost in the traffic to and from work.
Last year, at the Paris International Air show, in addition to the aircrafts that have become regulars at the show, the small, battery powered air taxis were on display. It has long been known that drones have many uses: filmmaking, broadcasting, warfare, etc. Now, air taxis are being considered for urban transport.
Air taxis are small, capable of carrying a few passengers, and they are powered by batteries. The merits are enticing: They are much smaller than traditional helicopters and planes, and as such can do not really require specialized landing pads. Also, they are environmentally friendly, they cannot cause air pollution.
They are capable of short flights and they do not have to land at airports to pick or drop passengers.
Another valid concern is the safety. Manufacturers promise that there will be rigorous safety testing measures are highest standards before making the air taxis operational.