Air Taxis to cut Bengaluru airport commute to 5 minutes from Indiranagar

In a groundbreaking development, the tedious journey from Indiranagar to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) could soon be reduced to just five minutes, thanks to electric flying taxis. Currently, the trip takes 1.5 hours on average, but a partnership between Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Sarla Aviation aims to transform this.

The initiative, which envisions fully electric air taxis, will also cut the travel time from KIA to Electronics City from 152 minutes to just 19, with fares starting at Rs 1,700. Adrian Schmidt, Sarla Aviation’s CEO, emphasized the potential of the venture, stating that the collaboration will "reduce the travel time from Indiranagar to the airport to just five minutes."

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BIAL expressed excitement about the project, calling it a "new chapter in advanced air mobility" developed in Karnataka. The collaboration will focus on developing seven-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, aiming to revolutionize air travel in the city.

However, the ambitious project is still a few years from reality. Regulatory approvals and infrastructure developments remain key hurdles. A BIAL source indicated that operations could take two to three years to materialize, with no prototype currently in place.

This initiative is part of a broader trend, with companies like California-based Archer also exploring electric air taxis in India. Regulatory progress, such as a recent advisory from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, signals growing momentum in the sector.