World’s first flying taxi takes off in Dubai

Dubai residents might soon be able to beat the emirate’s infamous traffic jams by taking to the skies in the city’s latest innovation – flying taxis.

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Monday attended the maiden concept flight of the Autonomous Air Taxi (AAT), a vehicle that will be used for the world’s first self-flying taxi service by the city’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA).

Built by Germany’s Volocopter, the two-seater taxi can transport people without human intervention or a pilot, according to a statement on the official WAM news agency.

The test flight was held near the Jumeirah Beach Park in Dubai.

“After the remarkable success of the first driverless metro in the region, we are glad to witness the test flight of the Autonomous Air Taxi today,” Sheikh Hamdan said.

“Encouraging innovation and adopting the latest technologies contribute not only to the country’s development but also help build bridges to the future,” he added.

In terms of safety standards, the AAT offers multiple redundancies in all critical components, such as propellers, motors, power source, electronics and flight controls.

It is also fitted with optional emergency parachutes, nine independent battery systems, and a battery quick-charge and plug-in system. The system takes two hours to reach full charge in the prototype version, a time that will be “significantly reduced” in the production version.

The flying taxi’s current prototype has a maximum flight time of approximately 30 minutes at a cruise speed of 50km/h, and a maximum airspeed of 100km/h. The vehicle is about two meters high. 

Dubai plans to integrate the flying taxis with public transport systems like the Dubai Metro and public buses, WAM said. The service will be made available to the public through an app.

“Over the next five years, the RTA will collaborate with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority to put in place the operational requirements for implementing the AAT services,” the statement said.

RTA has appointed US-based JDA Aviation Company, an autonomous air-vehicle safety specialist, to oversee the preparations for AAT flights and manage their safety.

The trial operations and the process of developing legislation governing the taxis will take five years. 

Write to Jerusha Sequeira at jerusha.s@argaamnews.com