Wisk, a Boeing subsidiary, is expected to start carrying passengers "later this decade".

On Monday, Wisk Aero, a Boeing-backed company developing a battery-powered, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, said it expects its passenger-carrying aircraft to “fly sometime in the latter part of this decade” as it works with US regulators to get approval.

Wisk is one of a number of companies that have emerged in recent years to develop eVTOL aircraft that promise to provide a green mode of transport in congested cities.

The industry is facing technical challenges, such as making batteries strong enough to allow for more trips on a single charge, and convincing regulators and the public that the aircraft are safe, which is more difficult when the aircraft are autonomous.

Wisk is developing a four-seat autonomous aircraft with a range of 90 miles.

Brian Utke, chief executive, said at the Farnborough Airshow: “We’re testing and manufacturing the parts for this aircraft right now, and we hope to fly it around the end of this year.”

Wisk’s strategy differs from that of other major air taxi companies, which are developing models that require pilots to fly the aircraft. The company says its aircraft will save pilots’ costs.

But industry experts at Bain say fully autonomous passenger flights are not expected until the late 2030s, and that the competition for air taxis will be with self-driving cars on the road.

“Maximising passenger utilisation, avoiding empty legs, will be critical to the profitability of the operators,” said Mattia Celli, one of the authors of the Bain report.

Wisk, based in Mountain View, California, was a Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corp joint venture that became a wholly owned subsidiary of the US aircraft maker last year.