Flying taxis will cost $30 within three years. China's EHang is ready to launch the service.

China's leading flying taxi company aims to launch air services from major airports within three years for as little as $30, as the race to deploy electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles intensifies.

The Financial Times reports that startup EHang , the first company in the world to receive approval from the airspace regulator for the commercial use of unmanned eVTOLs, plans to initially operate sightseeing flights in the cities of Guangzhou and Hefei . China's Civil Aviation Administration is currently limiting the service to trips that begin and end at the same point.

But Conor Yang , EHang's chief financial officer, is confident that flying taxis will soon be used more broadly, "not just for tourist attractions," he says, "but also for transportation and public services." Yang, a former banker at Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers , expects EHang air taxi trips to cost between 200 and 300 renminbi ($28-42), slightly more than a premium ride on a ride-hailing app like China's DiDi , but less than a high-end luxury transfer. The industry's stringent regulatory requirements will give EHang a competitive edge in the market for at least two years, he says.

Airport transfers are expected to be cheaper than tourist offers because they would not be subject to the closing times of scenic spots. EHang has also developed software that, according to Yang, allows a large number of its EH216-S , unmanned egg-shaped aircraft for two people, to be used simultaneously. In Lleida , Spain , two years ago, EHang unveiled Europe's first center for transporting people by unmanned aircraft.