Flying taxis are taking off in Texas. Is your city next?
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If you mean “How close is Minnesota to having flying taxis that people can actually book?” — surprisingly close technologically, but Minnesota is not one of the first launch states currently announced for commercial/eIPP operations.
As of September 2026:
The technology is essentially at the demonstration stage. Joby is conducting real-world eVTOL operations, and its first passenger-carrying operations are targeted for 2026.
The FAA and industry are now working through the actual airspace-integration process. The federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program has begun operations in selected states.
Minnesota has already been looking seriously at this. MnDOT’s Advanced Air Mobility work has identified several Minnesota locations for potential electric-aircraft charging infrastructure and has specifically discussed eVTOL aircraft and their potential use at regional airports.
MSP has also been examining advanced-air-mobility companies and eVTOL aircraft as part of its planning.
What that could mean for BLA Rides
This is actually pretty interesting for BLA Rides. I wouldn’t expect you to see an air taxi picking up passengers in Nisswa next year, but regional air taxi service could eventually fit Minnesota unusually well because of the state’s large number of regional airports.
For example, a future system could conceivably look something like:
Nisswa/Brainerd → Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport → Minneapolis
or potentially:
Brainerd → MSP → another Minnesota destination
The eVTOL aircraft being developed are generally designed for roughly 4–5 passengers, making the concept much closer to a taxi than to an airline. MnDOT’s material has specifically identified regional airports as potential beneficiaries of advanced air mobility.
The important distinction is “the aircraft are nearly here” versus “a Minnesota air-taxi network is nearly here.” The former is happening now; the latter still requires infrastructure, FAA approvals, vertiports, operators, and a viable business model.
