The concept of air taxis has not got off to a flying start. The US service that had the biggest ambitions, DayJet of Florida, had those lofty plans brought crashing down to earth by the credit crunch and delays in aircraft deliveries. Of the 1,400 Eclipse 500 very light jets (VLJs) it envisaged operating, the 28 it actually received are now being sold on by the manufacturer.

In western Europe, conditions are different. While roads are more congested, there are more options for point-to-point travel, including fast rail services. And some, including the body responsible for air traffic control in Europe, fear the system will not be able to cope with sizeable fleets of four-passenger, twin-turbofan air taxis.