Freedom is not only boundless above the clouds. Thanks to innovative technologies and new forms of mobility, our boldest fantasies about life in the country and working in the city can soon become a down-to-earth reality down on earth. But how are such prospects changing our real estate markets? And what demands would air taxis make on the infrastructure of large cities, for example, which would take their passengers from home in the countryside to work in the city and back again?

At least once everyone has wished to be able to beam from A to B. To save time or energy, and definitely nerves. In everyday life, distances stand in the way of achieving many goals. Commuters can tell a tale of this on their way to work if they travel back and forth five days a week and, in the worst case, are stuck in traffic jams or an overcrowded train. Not many accept long travel times to live with their loved ones in the idyllic family home – but most dream of it. If only one could beam…

This wish could soon come true. At least, almost. Since 2011, Volocopter has been working successfully on the production of air taxis with a clear vision in mind, carefully designing the necessary infrastructure for a nationwide air taxi network in megacities. Co-founder of the aviation start-up Alex Zosel assumes that the first fully developed Volocopter air taxi systems will already be integrated into existing local traffic structures in 10 years. From the very first point-to-point connection, this would mean additional mobility for up to 10,000 passengers per day. The Volocopter air taxi made its maiden voyage last year in Dubai with flying colours.

The impact the faster bridging of distances has on the property market is obvious: the distance between home and work is increasing, more and more people live in the surrounding area and work in the centre. As a result of the new traffic concepts, the valve for overheated real estate markets will become even more effective and permeable in the future, as demand will be increasingly better distributed.

If we actually one day routinely climb into an air taxi to get from our country house to work in the city, the urban space will also have changed. Volocopter’s visualized Volo ports are intended to provide direct access from an air taxi to a station, company, hotel or shopping centre, for example. So there will be a lot going on on the roofs of major cities in the future. The same applies to sleepy villages with (still) empty farms.

How and where we will live in the future depends strongly on how well and how quickly we reach this place. And we don’t need a flying carpet for that. It’s just an air taxi.

Fotos: © Volocopter