Between Uber rides, time at the airport, and a commercial flight, it should have taken five hours each way. With no security lines, no arduous boarding process, no taxiing, it took about two hours, meaning the seven-month-old I'd left behind was none the wiser: I was there to kiss him goodbye before he left for day care and home in time to give him a bath.
US-based startup Otto Aerospace is behind the Jetsons-like plane, called the Phantom 3500. It features a teardrop-shaped fuselage that significantly reduces fuel consumption and increases range, as well as screens in place of traditional windows. Its first flight is scheduled for 2027, with delivery expected in 2030. There is one caveat: this is an all-new, clean-sheet aircraft type that has yet to be built and certified. The question of whether it delivers on time remains uncertain, as new concepts often take longer than initially planned.
Corporate travel today looks different, with the rising time pressures and greater demands for flight flexibility. Business leaders are now re-evaluating the movement of key staff. The efficiency of executive travel can only go so far with commercial flights, especially with flight delays getting worse. While there is still the default option of using a commercial airline, there are circumstances where private aviation delivers clear operational advantages.
"We're serving our niche of clients that want that special flight without the hassle. Nobody is going to be patting down their balls in security or anything like that. It's a once-in-a-lifetime romantic experience."
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