Electric Aircraft

United Airlines became the first major US airline to place an order for electric take-off and land aircraft, better known as eVTOLs, in February and its early adoption kicked off a trend in the industry. 

American Airlines soon followed with a $1 billion preorder with Vertical Aerospace for up to 250 eVTOLs.

Behind these high-profile orders is an industry of startups dedicated to making the dream of true air taxis a reality, even though countless hurdles stand in the way. 

Helping them along, however, are aerospace giants like Honeywell Aerospace that are developing the systems to power the aircraft.

The reality of eVTOLs flying paying customers, according to companies like Joby Aviation and Volocopter, will arrive as soon as 2024. 

It's a timeline that Stéphane Fymat, vice president and general manager, urban air mobility and unmanned aerial systems, at Honeywell Aerospace, told Insider is "realistic" and that if not by 2024, at least by the end of the current decade.

But the questions remain, who will fly them and who will fly on them? 

The compact flying machines are a brand-new technology that are often smaller than helicopters, powered solely on battery power, and intended to be flown autonomously with no pilot.  READ MORE