Kissimmee Gateway Airport is testing air taxis and advanced air mobility systems as part of its efforts to embrace the future of transportation. “It’s fun, it’s a great time in our lives to be part of this industry,” said Shaun Germolus, director of Kissimmee Gateway Airport. Germolus said he hopes air taxis will eventually operate like ride-sharing services, allowing passengers to travel from the airport to destinations such as Tampa and other locations across Florida. The air taxis are electric vehicles that take off vertically, similar to helicopters or large drones. The airport has already conducted two rounds of testing on the aircraft. “They were performing practice flights, they did multiple testing flights, back-to-back rapid charging to see how fast they could get back in the air. Most of their runs are about a 60-mile circuit,” Germolus said. Earlier this year, Signature Aviation installed fast chargers outside its hangar, which can prepare an air taxi for flight in under an hour. The airport also demonstrated a device that communicates with the vehicles and the ground, enabling autonomous operation. While these advancements mark significant progress, officials said they do not yet have a timeline for when air taxis will become commonplace. “They’re coming, they’re going to be manufactured, and I think we’ll see many more here in the next few years,” Germolus said.
Kissimmee Gateway Airport is testing air taxis and advanced air mobility systems as part of its efforts to embrace the future of transportation.
“It’s fun, it’s a great time in our lives to be part of this industry,” said Shaun Germolus, director of Kissimmee Gateway Airport.
Germolus said he hopes air taxis will eventually operate like ride-sharing services, allowing passengers to travel from the airport to destinations such as Tampa and other locations across Florida.
The air taxis are electric vehicles that take off vertically, similar to helicopters or large drones. The airport has already conducted two rounds of testing on the aircraft.
“They were performing practice flights, they did multiple testing flights, back-to-back rapid charging to see how fast they could get back in the air. Most of their runs are about a 60-mile circuit,” Germolus said.
Earlier this year, Signature Aviation installed fast chargers outside its hangar, which can prepare an air taxi for flight in under an hour. The airport also demonstrated a device that communicates with the vehicles and the ground, enabling autonomous operation.
While these advancements mark significant progress, officials said they do not yet have a timeline for when air taxis will become commonplace.
“They’re coming, they’re going to be manufactured, and I think we’ll see many more here in the next few years,” Germolus said.