Uber reaches for the sky – Flying taxi design unveiled

The anxiousness and the nervousness over traffic jams may become a thing of the past if Uber’s plans to launch a flying taxi come to fruition.

The company, which connects drivers and users through a smartphone app, has unveiled the project of an elegant, futuristic aircraft, which it hopes to start using for demonstration flights in 2020 and implement in its carpool program by 2028, the Associated Press reports.

The battery-powered aircraft, which looks like a combination of a small plane and a helicopter, with fixed wings and propellers, was presented at the international tech conference in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon.

Uber aims to address the problem of traffic jams by considerably reducing travel time in city conditions. The company hopes that the expenses of using this type of transport will prove to be lower than in using one’s own car.

The project is still facing numerous challenges, among which are acquiring the certificate for a new means of transportation from the relevant authorities, pilot training and designing a system for air traffic management in urban areas, AP adds.

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flying taxi

battery powered aircraft