Close to 5 in 10 say they will take air taxis in the future: Study

A study by researchers from NTU Singapore has found that Singaporeans are open to ride air taxis, which are small autonomous aircraft that carry passengers over short distances.

Through a study of 1,002 participants, the NTU Singapore team found that almost half (45.7 per cent) say they intend to use this mode of transport when it becomes available, with over one-third (36.2 per cent) planning to do so regularly.

The intention to take autonomous air taxis is associated with factors such as trust in the AI technology deployed in air taxis, hedonic motivation (the fun or pleasure derived from using technology), performance expectancy (the degree to which users expect that using the system will benefit them), and news media attention (the amount of attention paid to news about air taxis).

For Singapore, which is looking to become a base for air taxi companies , the study findings could help the sector achieve lift-off, said the researchers.