Uber teams up with NASA for flying taxi service
Uber has inched a step closer to bringing its plan to launch flying taxis to fruition, by partnering with space agency NASA.
The ride-sharing giant said it will work with NASA to develop a standalone air traffic management system for an unmanned ‘flying car’ network which is dubbed ‘Elevate.’
It also announced Los Angeles as the next city for the four-seat drone like vehicles.
Testing in LA will begin in 2020, Uber said.
"L.A. is a model city for this in that it’s highly congested from a traffic perspective, and there’s not a great mass transit relief on the horizon," said Jeff Holden, Uber chief product officer.
"We’re trying to work with cities in the early days who are interested in partnering to make it happen, while knowing that there will be pitfalls along the way."
By 2028 Uber expects LA commuters will make ‘heavy use’ of the UberAir service with ‘tens of thousands’ of flights daily.
Although no discussions have taken place over the environmental impact or zoning issues, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has said the city is the ‘perfect testing ground for this new technology.’
The flying taxis will be electric powered and initially piloted although the dream is to develop a safe autonomous service.
Dallas and Dubai have already been announced as locations for the first test flights.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025