The UK’s government-backed Future Flight Challenge program has issued a sweeping endorsement of plans to introduce electric-powered and autonomously operated aircraft, based on new research that suggests these technologies will reduce transportation costs by almost half and reduce journey times significantly. A study published this week on the socio-economic impact of advanced air mobility, which has been conducted by the PwC consulting group, also argues that these new modes of air transport will improve worker safety.
The Future Flight Challenge, which has £125 million in funding from UK Research and Innovation’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, commissioned the report as a cost-benefit analysis of new-generation aircraft, including drones. The PwC team assessed the following six use cases in the UK:
In the case of the York-Preston train journey, which can take around two and a half hours, the study found that electric aircraft could cut journey times and fares in half. It found that using drones could reduce costs by around 35 percent, compared with current methods. For each test case, the PwC study provides conclusions and proposed next steps.
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