Reasons why flying taxis cannot be deployed yet

The Ministry of Transport has just issued a document responding to the proposal of the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province on the policy of building a pilot project for flying taxis operating in the province.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Transport said it supports localities in general and Binh Dinh province in particular in researching to deploy suitable, safe and secure means of transport, including flying taxis.

The implementation of these types of transport according to the Ministry of Transport is to facilitate people's travel and connect destinations, gradually forming advanced and modern means of transport, while contributing to building the image, creating highlights, and developing tourism activities in the locality.

However, according to the Ministry of Transport, the proposal of the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province on the pilot project of flying taxis only mentioned general information, did not have specific contents and did not have proposals related to the legal corridor, management mechanism, and implementation plan for implementation, so the Ministry of Transport did not have enough basis to consider and give opinions.

Besides, at the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly, the National Assembly discussed and passed the Law on People's Air Defense, effective from July 1, 2025.

Accordingly, the National Assembly discussed the concept of "unmanned aircraft" in the Law on People's Air Defense in the direction of ensuring appropriate, complete, and comprehensive regulations for other unmanned aircraft in the future such as flying taxis and flying motorbikes.

The flying taxi model has not been implemented yet. Photo: Document

The Ministry of Transport believes that this will be the initial premise for forming a legal basis for managing and exploiting flying taxis.

Therefore, the Ministry of Transport requests the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province to continue to research and closely follow the process of drafting legal documents to implement the Law on People's Air Defense to supplement and specify issues related to the construction of the Project and report to request approval according to the authority of relevant ministries and branches.

Previously, at the end of October 2024, the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province sent a document requesting the Ministry of Transport to review the report and propose to the Prime Minister for approval so that the Provincial People's Committee can develop a pilot project for flying taxis operating in the province. The document was sent to the Ministry of Transport regarding guidelines for piloting seaplane operations at sea.

According to the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province, using seaplanes is more optimal than helicopters or ground planes in terms of take-off and landing areas, size characteristics as well as fuel capacity.

Currently, there is no suitable means of transport to fully explore the natural beauty of Binh Dinh province, as well as to help move between tourist destinations conveniently and quickly. Therefore, developing seaplane activities to serve tourism is a new breakthrough direction, creating a unique highlight for the province's tourism industry.

The People's Committee of Binh Dinh province requested the Ministry of Transport to provide specific instructions on the types of seaplanes allowed to be used in Vietnam and the procedures for registering and granting licenses to use the M80 seaplane to transport tourists in Binh Dinh province.

Must design fixed flight paths, cannot fly "randomly"

Speaking to VietNamNet reporter, transportation expert Nguyen Thien Tong supported Binh Dinh’s proposal. However, he noted that those flights must be designed with fixed routes like buses, not flying “randomly”.

“We must plan the air taxi routes like we would a bus network on the road. It is an air highway, an air bus for each city. Passengers will go to the flight points to choose their own suitable route.

With this type of transportation, I think it is suitable for cities like Hue or Quang Ninh that have deployed helicopter sightseeing services - this service is both expensive and not as safe as flying taxis," said Mr. Nguyen Thien Tong.

It is known that Vietnam does not have regulations on management and exploitation of business activities and transportation by flying taxi.

Research and implementation of flying taxis, as well as other means of transport, need a roadmap to ensure safety and sustainability with careful, scientific and strict steps.

Accordingly, it is necessary to evaluate and clarify issues directly related to the implementation process, such as: Authority of state management agencies; transport subjects, business conditions; authority to grant flight licenses; manufacturers, types of flying taxis, etc.

“These issues, during the research and implementation evaluation process, need the opinions of relevant agencies, ministries and branches such as the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security…”, said the leader of the Ministry of Transport.