Company Pitches ‘Flying Trains With Removable Wings’ Idea To Boeing

Maurice Ricci, a French entrepreneur and founder of engineering and technology consulting firm Akka Technologies has just pitches his ‘Link & Fly’ (not to be confused with Link & Park) concept for train/plane cabin-like tubes that can be loaded with passengers at a neighborhood station, then railed to the airport, where modular wings will be attached, and the plane take to the skies. I don’t know about you, but personally I’m not thrilled about the idea of flying in a plane with wings made to come off.

With Akka’s futuristic concept, passengers would board a train-like tube at a neighborhood station and have their retinas scanned for security during the ride to the airport. Wings would then be attached to the pod for take-off.

Ricci estimates at least thirty minutes could be saved during each airport turnaround, and increase short flight rotations like that from Paris to Toulouse (approximately an hour and 15 minute flight) from 7 to 9 per day. Will it ever actually happen? Maybe. Will it happen in our lifetime? *eying the sky for nukes* Possibly. Will I ever ride one unless there’s free Wi-Fi and every single seat is an ejector seat? Absolutely not.

Keep going for a video of the concept.

Thanks to Thaylor H, who agrees if there’s any train that should be able to fly, it’s the Hogwarts Express.