Did you know that you can now fly in a taxi? Sounds unbelievable? The future of transportation is here as Dubai is all set to launch its new ‘Air Taxi.’ Yes, this is not your average taxi.
The plan is to introduce a taxi that can fly. Thus, reducing the traffic caused by road transport. Here is a detailed look at what Dubai's new initiative brings for you.
Till now, ‘air taxi’ has only been a concept or something shown in movies or sci-fi. Now Air taxis are set to shift from reel to reality. Uber, a transport giant, collaborates with Joby Aviation, a US-based aerospace firm. They will introduce electric-powered flying taxis in Dubai. This announcement has the potential to take a leap ahead in urban air mobility. It is also expected that, with this invention, Dubai can become the first city in the world to offer commercial air taxi services to the general public.
So how will this new air taxi work? Booking an air taxi will be directly included in the Uber app. You just need to enter your destination. Just like the way you do in the usual Uber app. The ‘electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft’ is created by Joby Aviation. This aircraft can carry up to four passengers and a certified commercial pilot.
The aircraft takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter before transitioning into forward flight. Air taxis can also travel at up to 200 miles per hour. You can also expect a travelling range of approximately 100 miles on a single charge.
After debuting in Dubai, Joby Aviation and Uber plan to expand their services to major US cities. This includes Los Angeles and New York City. They also plan to bring air taxis to the United Kingdom and Japan.
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