The Gold Coast is set to take to the skies with a futuristic air taxi network ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games, but the short trips could come with a staggering price tag.
Gold Coast Council has signed a deal with Skyports to build multiple “vertiports” across the city, allowing electric air taxis to ferry passengers between key destinations including the airport, Broadbeach and Brisbane.
The ambitious proposal aims to slash a 45-minute drive from the Gold Coast Airport to Broadbeach down to just five minutes in the air.
But while the futuristic concept promises to ease congestion and dramatically cut travel times across South East Queensland, the eye-watering price tag is likely to make the service more of a luxury experience than an everyday transport option.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the cost of an air taxi trip would be comparable to hiring a luxury limousine, estimating it would sit at around $900 for four passengers.
Despite the hefty price, he argued the service could still appeal to travellers wanting to avoid gridlocked roads and lengthy trips along the M1.
The mayor confirmed the air taxis would initially operate with human pilots before transitioning to automated flights in a later phase.
“At the moment, well, me personally, the first flight when I’m in, there’s going to be someone sitting there next to me,” Tate said.
“But they’ve got all the automated ones. So that will be phase two. I want to see how that happens in Dubai and New York first.”
Tate said the proposal would include three or four vertiports across the city, strategically placed so travellers could reach hotels and venues without additional transport.
The project is officially targeting 2032 to align with the Olympic Games, allowing visitors to travel between Brisbane and Gold Coast venues on the same day.
“My gut feel is I want it up and running by 2030, so we’ve got two years of work [before the Olympics],” Tate said.
