Vahana Project: the flying taxi

Vahana is a project focusing on creating next-generation aircraft, launched by European company Airbus. The manufacturer has recently concluded the very first test flights of its Alpha Two prototype, which was developed as part of the program.

Vahana isn’t a short-term project, it’s a program that will run for years to come. In the several years that the program has been active, dozens of tests have already been run. Alpha One, the precursor to Alpha Two, only proved its long-distance flight capabilities after its fiftieth test flight in 2018. The new version is much more advanced.

The tests went on for 5 hours, with flights of over 7 minutes and maximum speed of 97 km/h. The released video clearly demonstrates the aircraft taking off, reaching an altitude of over 60 meters and performing basic maneuvers.

Experts predict that similar machines will become extremely widespread in the future. They will mainly cover medium-haul flights. Vahana isn’t the only project of this kind, with other companies like UK-based Samad Aerospace working on similar developments. The company is currently working on their Starling Jet project, which will allow groups of up to 10 passengers to fly to a distance of 2-3 thousand kilometers.