Flying air taxis move closer to US takeoff with issuing of FAA rule

Federal regulators are giving a strong push to electric-powered air taxis by issuing a final rule for operating the aircraft and how pilots will be trained to fly them. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Whitaker, said Wednesday that the rule recognizes air taxis as an entirely new type of aircraft that will soon join airplanes and helicopters in the sky. The aircraft take off and land vertically, like helicopters, but fly like fixed-wing planes. Many companies are working to get them on the market, but they have been held back by the lack of clarity over regulations to govern their use.