Self-Flying Taxis Are Taking Off in New Zealand, Not the U.S.: New at Reason

Instead of launching an air taxi service close to their homes and families in Silicon Valley, Google co-founder Larry Page’s new startup Kitty Hawk chose New Zealand—a not-very-convenient commute that’s something like 15 hours each way.

Kitty Hawk did preliminary testing at an airstrip in Hollister, an agricultural town about 50 miles south of San Jose, and the company’s headquarters has not shifted from Mountain View. But when its executives conducted a global search for a location to start a service that would eventually carry passengers, explains pilot and entrepreneur Declan McCullagh, California failed to make the cut.

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