Air taxis may exist in Sofia for up to ten years. This is shown by announced plans for the construction of ports for flying cars at the new third terminal of Sofia Airport. But Europe still has a long way to go even to catch up with the US and… Saudi Arabia and Dubai on the subject.
The first flying car could have come to Bulgaria already this year, says Todor Ivandzhikov from the Association of the Bulgarian Aviation Industry. The Chinese-made two-seater unmanned car is already flying in China, said Todor Ivandzhikov. It has been demonstrated in Brazil, Spain and Austria.
But the statistics do not work in favor. Not Bulgaria either. And of Europe as a whole. The first flying car was introduced in the 22nd. And the promise is that there will be flying taxis by the 24th. The Saudi air carrier contracted 50 electric vertical takeoff planes from a German manufacturer in July.
In March, a Chinese company bought the license for a flying car successfully tested in Europe. Another Chinese company plans to deliver flying cars in 2026.
And a third company is already in the process of certifying its commercial flights. In the US, an American startup will start selling flying cars in 2025. For around $300,000. A Brazilian startup controlled by plane maker Embraer expects to sell an electric flying car in 2026. Because in Europe, flying cars are not making their way easily.
In China, too, security has yet to be proven.
Todor Ivandzhikov from the Association of the Bulgarian Aviation Industry recalled – “Europe has laws for flying aircraft. But the regulations permeate the plans for drones and the general European drone space. Work is being done on the new security rules affecting heavier drones…”
“As long as there is no security, there will be no air cars,” Daniela Mincheva from GVA, the master of unmanned vehicles, told the BNR. And this is not a Bulgarian whim. It is precisely about the directive on the European skies for unmanned vehicles, which is still has not regulated air taxis….
Daniela Mincheva added that in Bulgaria it is early for space for pylonless systems. In our country, as in most countries, there is no interest from those wishing to become operators of this airspace.
It is precisely because of the lack of interest of an operator for unmanned vehicles that the designated zone for unmanned vehicles near the town of Rakovski, near Plovdiv, does not work.
Testovo and in the southern part of Sofia will have such a separate zone, explained Daniela Mincheva from GVA.
Mincheva does not commit to a date when there may be a commercial application of a flying car in Bulgaria.
Todor Ivandzhikov said that in addition to RVD, he knew of two other operators who were interested in the space for unmanned aerial vehicles. And he adds that the fact that a flying car will be able to take off from Sofia Airport is not a fantasy.
The idea of the investor that the third terminal of the “Sofia” airport should also have three gates for flying cars is a surprise against the background of the already publicly disclosed plans for 500 million BGN.
But according to Todor Ivandzhikov, this is also a signal for the other mayors that they should start thinking not only about ordinary roads in a city. And for the air infrastructure. Because of the same model of car that Todor Ivandzhikov wants to show in Bulgaria, the Chinese city of Guangzhou announced a program for one billion and 400 million dollars to go to services that use manned and unmanned (small) aerial vehicles.
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