Futuristic air taxis are preparing to take off in Utah within the next decade.
Gov. Spencer Cox announced an agreement Tuesday between Utah aerospace industry association 47G and aircraft manufacturer BETA Technologies to launch small, lightweight passenger aircraft into Utah skies by the 2034 Olympics.
The partnership between the two aerospace organizations will coordinate with state agencies to develop infrastructure across the Beehive State for the planned air taxis, such as potential flight routes and locations for charging facilities for the aircraft, according to a news release from 47G.
“When we welcome the world here, I can’t wait to show them our advanced air mobility opportunities,” Cox said during a news conference. “I truly believe that when we get there, we’ll be transporting people vertically — which will make it easier for us to get from point A to point B, we’ll be able to do it more efficiently, we’ll be able to save money, we’ll be able to do it incredibly safely, and we won’t have to keep building roads wider and wider.”
The partnership, dubbed “Project Alta,” also includes the governor’s office, the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Inland Port Authority. But before passenger flights, Project Alta plans to use small aircraft to deliver packages and medical care.
Over the next year and a half, 47G will work with UDOT to build charging infrastructure that will allow the small aircraft to take off at existing airports.
Early test flights have yielded promising results, officials say. BETA Technologies CEO and test pilot Kyle Clark said the longest the company has flown one of the small aircraft on one full charge is 387 miles — and it only cost about $17 in power.
But passenger aircraft, which could eventually transport up to eight passengers to local destinations like The Point in Draper and the University of Utah, won’t lift off until 2031, according to a timeline released by 47G.
“Imagine being in Moab in 40 minutes,” said Aaron Starks, president of 47G. “Imagine living in Huntsville, Utah, or Logan, where I grew up, and being able to fly to Salt Lake in 16 minutes. … That’s the reality, and it’s here.”
