Dubai flies in to the future with new air taxis

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that it will begin testing a two-passenger autonomous aerial taxi (AAT) later this year.

You might think the photos are out of a science fiction film or a futuristic cartoon, but they are not. This is actually happening in Dubai in 2017.

This futuristic, flying taxi will shuttle passengers in Dubai later this year https://t.co/wmlhX0UCuf via @clusterstock

— Louis Tourillon🇨🇦🇫🇷🇺🇦 (@louistourillon) August 8, 2017

The Dubai Media Office tweeted several photos of what these Sci Fi-esque self-flying vehicles will look like.

موقع China daily: سيبدأ التشغيل التجريبي للتكسي الطائر في #دبي بنهاية العام الجاري

مصدر الصور: https://t.co/j1lNa2kQmS pic.twitter.com/gpj32ykyO3

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) August 8, 2017

And people are still trying to take it all in.

https://twitter.com/raychdigitalink/status/895585177413537792

Dubai’s RTA has been collaborating with the German company Volocopter, a specialist in the manufacturing of autonomous aerial vehicles, to make this a reality.

RTA will also be working with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority to develop a legal framework for pilotless aircrafts carrying passengers.

Powered by electricity, these vehicles will be equipped with 18 rotors and nine independent battery systems, and they will be able to fly at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour.

Who knows? This might very well be the view from your high rise apartment in a few years’ time!

And yet, not everyone is impressed. Highlighting the numerous restrictions in the UAE, including a ban on Skype, this Twitter user told Dubai to “try again”.

But you can't Skype even when on a ride in the flying taxi, so it's useless. Try again Dubai. https://t.co/U92isGNxFj

— MZ (@mrdelzgl) August 9, 2017

Would you take a ride in a self-flying taxi?