Spaceport developer pitches idea of electric air taxi service

The developer of the Las Vegas Spaceport has long considered initiating a helicopter transport from his desert land west of Las Vegas to the Strip and other locations in the city once the spaceport opens.

Now, Robert Lauer, CEO of the spaceport project, is doubling down on the helicopter idea with UpWin, an Uber-style air taxi ride-hailing proposal.

“My initial thought was that we would need a regular helicopter service to connect the Las Vegas Executive Airport (Clark County’s official name for the spaceport), located about 31 miles outside the city, to the Las Vegas Strip,” Lauer said. “Then it dawned on me — Southern Nevada needs this on a broader scale. As the region’s tourist offerings and demand for quick, efficient access continue to grow, an air taxi service will be essential.”

Also pitched by Delta CEO

The idea is similar to a proposal pitched by Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian at last week’s CES keynote address at the Sphere.

In describing how Delta intends to better serve customers with its Delta Concierge service, Bastian described how in Los Angeles and New York, an Uber-style electric helicopter service called Joby would be used to efficiently transport Delta passengers from near their homes to airports for Delta flights.

Lauer’s concept is similar.

UpWin would create a network of strategically located landing sites across Las Vegas, making air travel accessible for short trips. With flights averaging just three minutes, the service aims to transport thousands of people daily — day and night — at a price point comparable to Uber, as low as $30 to $40 for a single trip. Beyond passenger services, UpWin also could provide emergency air ambulance transportation to hospitals across the city.

Lauer said while some in the industry are looking to develop self-flying vehicles that take off and land after being fed computerized coordinates, he said he’d be happy with piloted vehicles at first.

Parking garage helipads

Lauer envisions contacting resort companies across the city to use the top floors of their parking garages for helipads.

Santa Cruz, California-based Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation of San Jose, California, are among the companies working toward developing fleets of small electric-powered eVTOL aircraft — for “electric vertical takeoff and landing.” Prototypes of the aircraft are similar to small drones with wings and multiple rotor blades that can swivel and become similar to fixed-wing airplane engines capable of propelling a vehicle carrying up to four passengers.

Lauer said initially he would use traditional fuel-powered helicopters to meet immediate demand. A flight from the spaceport to the Strip takes about 15 minutes in a helicopter and he’s actually done that on occasion. He expects most flights in Las Vegas would take about three minutes and link resorts, top restaurants, convention centers and sports facilities. Eventually, the city’s newest prospective industry, film-making, could benefit with transports to planned motion picture studios being built in Southern Nevada.

Once electric helicopter concepts are certified, options could broaden.

At this year’s National Business Aircraft Association meetings in Las Vegas. eVTOL aircraft, were a hot topic. During that trade show, helicopters routinely transport passengers between Henderson Executive Airport where the show’s flightline is displayed, and a parking lot at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall.

There are plenty of roadblocks that must be cleared before a plan is enacted. The Federal Aviation Administration must certify the use of eVTOL aircraft for passenger transport and Lauer said he would need to develop a network of helipads across the city and county for air taxi service for UpWin.

500-foot sky highways

“So when you fly a helicopter right now for tourists, they’re about 1,000 feet above the ground,” Lauer said in an interview. “And so ours, you’re going to be looking at carving out 500 feet above the ground. So we’re going to have to have prescribed airspace. We’re going to have to have basically highways in the sky between each site. We’re going to have to have coordinated airspace, air traffic control, not only for safety but also for traffic.”

FAA Director Michael Whitaker stressed the urgency of legalizing electric-powered aircraft for human transport at October’s National Association of Broadcasters trade show.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.