Frustrated with getting stuck in Bengaluru traffic? Commuters could soon have some relief as a city-based aviation company plans to launch electric flying taxis soon. Sarla Aviation has tied up with Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to launch its electric flying taxis in an effort to cut down travel time in the city. Bengaluru, which is one of the slowest cities in the world in terms of average traffic speed, often witnesses long traffic jams during rush hour or during heavy rains.

Sarla Aviataion has signed a statement of collaboration with the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). The partnership aims to use air mobility with the help of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The electric flying taxis will not only help to reduce travel time for commuters but also help in reducing vehicular pollution in the capital city of Karnataka.

Flying taxis in Bengaluru: What we know so far

The company, co-founded by Adrian Schmidt, Rakesh Gaonkar and Shivam Chauhan, plans to launch seven-seater electric flying taxis. It has proposed the flying taxi's route from Bengaluru Airport to Electronics City. The distance of nearly 52 kms, which currently takes nearly three hours at times, could be just a 19-minute fly when the operation starts.

Sarla Aviation will not stop at just Bengaluru. The company also plans to launch similar operations in other congested cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Pune soon. Schmidt, co-founder and CEO at Sarla Aviation, said, “We aim to redefine urban air transport with operational efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and scalable infrastructure. Our electric flying taxis will set new benchmarks in reliability and performance, aligning with global standards for sustainable aviation."

The operations in Bengaluru may still take three years to become operational. The company is still waiting for regulatory nods to start operating electric flying taxis commercially. Sarla Aviation promises its service to be more cost-effective than traditional helicopter services previously offered in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru ranks second among cities with slowest traffic

Commuters in Bengaluru often struggle to reach their destinations in time due to its congested road network. Earlier this week, heavy rain exposed the city's traffic woes again with long traffic jams at several places. A recent survey conducted by Geolocation technology specialist TomTom placed Bengaluru at second spot among cities around the world where traffic speed is at its slowest. The survey found that it takes almost half and hour on average to cover 10 kms in Bengaluru during rush hour.

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