Kenya Airways, Embraer sign deal to launch flying taxis in Nairobi
Nairobians are on the edge experiencing flying taxis after the national carrier and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer on Wednesday, August 18 signed an agreement that would lead this innovation in the market.
Otieno Cynthia 
The main objective of the taxis is to minimize the travel time from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the city center to six minutes.
This follows the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the Brazilian company with Kenya Airways last week, through the national carrier’s newly established subsidiary Fahari Aviation, to establish Electric Vertical Aircraft (EVA) starting 2025.
Fahari is a Kenya Airways wing and has already opened an unmanned aerial vehicles school to train interested Kenyans.
Electric Vertical Aircraft's carry a load of 250 kilograms at 400km per hour with a range of 250km. The aircraft is completely autonomous as it does not require any human pilot intervention as it flies under the control of automatic systems such as radar, lidar, and 12 camera sensors.
The company, however, said that Electric Vertical Aircraft will begin as a manned aircraft (with one pilot).
Electric Vertical Aircraft is ideally suited as an urban air mobility aircraft bringing all traditional aviation travelers closer to their final destination efficiently and comfortably.
The new partnership is also anchored on the need to introduce zero-emission electric planes in the transport sector in Kenya.
