Will Sir Richard Branson's new air taxis link Palma Airport with his Mallorca hotel?

Plans rolled out by Virgin Group in Britain

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Mallorca is hoping that Virgin tycoon, Sir Richard Branson, will link Palma Airport with his hotel in Banyalbufar using a state-of-the-art air taxi which his company is introducing in Britain. The electric air taxi service could be launched in London 'soon', offering zero-emission trips across the capital in less than 10 minutes.

The air taxi is fully electric, carrying a pilot and up to four passengers, and using six tilting propellers to travel at speeds of up to 200mph and take off and land with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters.

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The news comes as a result of a partnership with California-based company Joby Aviation and Delta Air Lines (which owns a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic), who will be pioneering the project in the US.

The air taxi could mean that tourists could be at his hotel in Banyalbufar within minutes of arriving on the island. One of the drawbanks of the Hotel Son Bunyola is the mountain road from Esporles to Banyalbufar and then the road down to the hotel. The air taxi service would solve this problem.

"As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flights to airports and cities throughout the UK," Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said. "Our strategic partnership combines Joby's expertise in design, engineering and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Joby’s service to the UK and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers."