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Clip: 03/24/2023 | 5m 47s | Video has closed captioning.
United is partnering with Archer Aviation to provide flyers an air taxi service from Vertiport Chicago on the Near West Side to O’Hare. The flight is expected to take about 10 minutes.
Aired: 03/24/23
>>> CATCHING A FLIGHT IN 2025?
THE COMMUTE TO O'HARE MIGHT BE SHORTER IF YOU ARE FLYING UNITED AIRLINES.
THEY ARE SPONSORING AN AIR TAXI SERVICE.
IT IS ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
HERE TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL AIR SERVICE IS JOE SWEETERMAN.
WELCOME BACK, JOE.
IS THIS AIR TAXI SERVICE BECOMING MORE COMMON?
>> EIGHT OR SO YEARS AGO, WE WAITED AND WAITED.
NOW THE NEWS IS COMING UP FAST AND FURIOUS.
IT MAKES CLEAR THEY WANTED TO START.
VERTICAL TAKEOFF.
>> UNITED SAYS THEY WILL BE TAKING OFF THE NEAR WEST SIDE.
>> THEY HAVE A HELIPORT WHERE HELICOPTERS COULD LAND.
>> TO BE A LEADER ON THE SUSTAINABILITY SIDE.
TESTING AN ELECTRIC AIRPLANE TECHNOLOGY.
THIS IS KIND OF A BABY STEP TOWARDS THAT.
VERTICAL TAKEOFF DEVICES.
THE FIRST WANTS TO BE APPROVED.
THEY ONLY HAD ROOM FOR FOUR OR SO PASSENGERS.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, WE WILL SEE BIGGER TAKEOFF DEVICES.
THE PROPELLERS SWITCH TO MORE OF A LATERAL MODE.
WE ARE LIKELY GOING TO SEAPLANES WITH A 10 OR 12 PASSENGER RANGE.
>> STILL EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.
THE ONE THING THAT UNITED ARCHER DIDN'T MENTION WAS THE COST TO O'HARE.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
>> A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
THERE WAS SOME TALK IT COULD BE IN THE $50 RANGE.
THAT SOUNDS PRETTY REASONABLE.
THE SENSES IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE ON BOARD.
IT IS GOING TO MAKE IT TOUGH TO WORK.
A BIG QUESTION.
BACK IN THE OLD DAYS, THEY LANDED ON THE ROOF OF TERMINAL 2.
THESE, NOT SO CLEAR IF THEY ARE GOING TO LAND BEHIND SECURITY, DO SECURITY BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
>> DO SECURITY BEFORE YOU LEAVE, THAT IS ANOTHER COMPLICATION.
WE KNOW THAT THE KATY EXPRESSWAY CONSTRUCTION.
>> THE KENNEDY EXPRESSWAY, I THINK THE BLUE LINE.
THE FLIGHT ITSELF IS ABOUT 90 MINUTES.
YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF PREDICTABILITY.
THAT IS A BIG SELLING POINT.
IF THEY DO LAND BEHIND SECURITY, 30 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT, AND YOU COULD GET SAFELY THERE.
MY SENSE IS IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR THE HIGH-END TRAVELERS , THE MAINSTREAM TRAVELERS.
IT MIGHT BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY.
ONCE THEY TESTED OUT, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN ELECTRIC DEVICES
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