Flying taxis and drone deliveries could be a reality in the UK by 2030

Announced by the Department for Transport (DfT) on March 18, 2024, the plan details how this technology could transform UK skies, with studies estimating drone technology could boost the UK economy by £45bn by 2030.

The Future of Flight action plan includes the first piloted flying taxi flight to happen by 2026 and regular services by 2028, plus regular drone deliveries across UK skies by 2027 and demos of autonomous flying taxis without pilots on board by 2030.

First imagined in the Flightpath to the Future in 2022, the DfT said that this joint plan with industry experts and leaders sets out the strategic direction of the sector over the next five years, striking a balance between innovation, security, safety and cutting emissions.

The plan also includes allowing drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) so that the sector can grow without limiting the skies for other aircraft, developing smaller aerodromes by setting out how they can operate as vertiports for electric aircraft that take off vertically, and creating standards to improve security for drones to boost public safety.