Unmanned air taxis are coming to Houston

HOUSTON – If the idea of ​​dodging traffic while trying to get to the airport sounds appealing, those ready to embrace the future may be in luck. The Houston airport system has signed an agreement with a California company to explore the possibility of offering autonomous air taxis to transport people.

If you need clarification, it would be unmanned passenger drones helping to get people to their flights on time.

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Houston Airport Director Jim Szczesniak said the conversation about air taxis was inevitable: “We know they’re coming, we just don’t know exactly ‘when.’

California-based Wisk Aero is one of several companies developing electric, autonomous air taxis for passengers.

While the travel model is still being tested and certified, the agreement with Houston Airports here begins the process of exploring how the taxi service could work. Specifically; Where would it be located? how would it share airspace? how would people access it? For Houston, it’s another tool to combat sprawling traffic jams.

“This will allow us to have pick-up points throughout the Houston area, get you to the airport quickly and avoid traffic,” says Szczesniak.

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Among potential users at Hobby Airport following the announcement, reactions were mixed.

“I don’t know if I trust it,” one woman said. “I would ride in a normal air taxi, but not in a taxi without a driver or pilot.”

Another traveler had other concerns: “The weather around here changes often enough that I wouldn’t trust a drone or unmanned aircraft in turbulent weather. »

Szczesniak says these are all concerns to consider: “We know these people are going to be in this market, and we want to make sure we have good coordination with them, so we can do our best to make sure that we take this new technology and execute it as best we can in Houston. »

To be fair, many airliners are already computer-controlled and military drones are regularly flown from the other side of the world. Wisk Aero says a human ground supervisor would monitor each flight.

The company already has a similar agreement with Sugar Land, so this new development is an expansion of that plan.

Flights could begin as early as the end of 2027.