Dubai successfully tests flying taxi

Dubai will soon become the first city in the world to develop a drone taxi service after a successful trial.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has completed a test flight of a flying taxi developed by German company Volocopter, SBS reported today. The successful flight promises to make Dubai the first place in the world to operate an unmanned flying taxi service.

The Volocopter flying taxi resembles a small two-seater helicopter with a large circle of 18 propellers on its roof. The vehicle was piloted during the test flight without a pilot.

Designed to operate without remote control with a maximum flight time of 30 minutes, the flying taxi has many emergency equipment, including backup batteries, rotors and two parachutes for the worst case scenario.

Volocopter is in a race with dozens of American and European companies aiming to create a new form of urban transportation that is a hybrid of an electric drone and a small vertical take-off and landing aircraft, including big names such as aerospace company Airbus, Kitty Hawk, a company invested in by Google co-founder Larry Page, and Uber.

Volocopter conducted its first test flight in a ceremony presided over by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. The company has not yet revealed when the drone taxis will start carrying passengers.

According to VNE