The UK government wants flying taxis to be a common sight in the sky by 2028. They have made a plan called the Future of Flight, which says that drones and other flying vehicles will become more autonomous. The plan also says that the first pilotless flying taxi will take off in 2030. But there are some obstacles that need to be dealt with first, like building the right infrastructure and making sure people are okay with the idea.

Flying taxis, also called eVTOLs, are vehicles that look like helicopters and can carry about five people. Right now, they are really expensive and only used by rich people. The government wants to change that and make them more accessible. They also want to let drones fly without someone watching them, which could be useful for things like delivering medicine to remote areas or catching criminals.

The main challenges for flying taxis are infrastructure and what people think about them, according to Craig Roberts, who works at a company called PwC. The government's plan says that flying from Liverpool to Leeds could take just 26 minutes. But people need to see that flying taxis are convenient and safe. The plan also says that new places for drones to take off and land, called "mini airports," need to be built.

There have been some small airports for drones in the UK, but more need to be made for flying taxis. The government wants the first vertiport (a special airport for flying vehicles) to be ready this year. They are also thinking about making vertiports at existing airports. They will need to make new rules to support the government's plan for autonomous air taxis by 2030.

Even though there are challenges, experts think that having flying taxis in the sky by 2028 is possible. The government's plan, along with help from the industry and new technology, will make it happen.

Original news source: Government wants flying taxis taking off in 2 years (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask each group to summarize the main points of the article in a short news summary. They can present their summaries to the rest of the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Prepare a list of statements related to the article, such as "Flying taxis will become a common sight in the sky by 2028" or "Drones should be allowed to fly without someone watching them." Have the students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can record their classmates' responses and then share the results with the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of relevant vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into teams and give each team a whiteboard or a piece of paper. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word from the list. They must then draw a picture to represent the word, while their team members try to guess the word. The team that guesses correctly gets a point.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group will brainstorm the pros of having flying taxis, while the other group will brainstorm the cons. Give each group a few minutes to come up with their ideas. Then, have a class discussion where each group presents their points. Encourage the students to debate and discuss the different perspectives.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine they are living in the year 2030, when pilotless flying taxis are common. In pairs or small groups, have them discuss and make predictions about how their lives would be affected by this technology. They can discuss topics such as transportation, work, leisure, and the environment. After the discussion, ask some groups to share their predictions with the class.

The UK government wants flying taxis to be a common sight in the sky by 2028. They have made a plan called the Future of Flight, which says that drones and other flying vehicles will become more autonomous. The plan also says that the ? ? flying taxi will take off in 2030. But there are some obstacles that need to be dealt with first, like building the right infrastructure and ? sure ? are okay with the idea. Flying taxis, also called eVTOLs, are vehicles that look like ? and can carry about five people. Right now, they are really ? and only used by rich people. The government wants to change that and make them more accessible. They also want to let drones fly without someone watching them, which could be useful for things like delivering ? to remote areas or catching criminals. The main challenges for flying ? are infrastructure and what people think about them, according to Craig ?, who works at a company called PwC. The government's plan says that ? from Liverpool to Leeds could take just 26 ?. But people need to see that flying taxis are convenient and safe. The plan also says that new places for drones to take off and land, called "mini ?," need to be built. There have been some small airports for drones in the UK, but more need to be made for flying taxis. The government wants the first vertiport (a special ? for flying vehicles) to be ready this year. They are also thinking about making vertiports at existing airports. They will need to make new ? to ? the government's plan for autonomous air taxis by 2030. Even though there are challenges, experts think that having flying taxis in the sky by 2028 is possible. The government's plan, along with help from the industry and new ?, will make it happen.

1. What do you think about the idea of flying taxis?
2. How would you feel if you could ride in a flying taxi?
3. Do you think flying taxis will become a common sight in the sky by 2028? Why or why not?
4. What is an obstacle that needs to be dealt with before flying taxis can become more common?
5. How do you think the government can make flying taxis more accessible to everyone?
6. Do you like the idea of drones flying without someone watching them? Why or why not?
7. How do you think drones could be useful for delivering medicine to remote areas?
8. What challenges do flying taxis face regarding infrastructure?
9. How can the government convince people that flying taxis are convenient and safe?
10. Do you think building "mini airports" for drones to take off and land is a good idea? Why or why not?
11. How do you think the government can make sure that the first vertiport is ready this year?
12. What new rules do you think need to be made to support the government's plan for autonomous air taxis?
13. Do you think having flying taxis in the sky by 2028 is possible? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the industry and new technology can help make flying taxis a reality?
15. Would you like to ride in a flying taxi? Why or why not?

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