Uber's flying taxi prototype, an electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle. (Robyn Beck/AFP-Getty Images)

Uber’s Flying Taxi Service Will Be Tested in Melbourne

Uber Technologies said it will set to test out its flying taxi service, Uber Air, in Australia’s second largest city Melbourne. The US ride-sharing firm previously chose Dubai as its first international test site, however, due to the launch delays in the Middle East city the firm decided to reopened request for its test site proposals last month.

According to Uber’s regional general manager for Australia, New Zealand, and North Asia—Susan Anderson, Melbourne’s geospatial factors, unique demographic, and culture of innovation and technology are perfect criteria to be the third launch city for Uber Air. Coupled with Victoria’s State Government ‘highly-supportive’ attitude toward the trial who have adopted a forward-looking approach to future transport technology like ride-sharing.

Jake Whitehead, a researcher from the University of Queensland who specializes in transport perceives this as an extremely aggressive approach of Uber to enter new markets, yet he believes that to make sure the society can benefit from this technology, the government needs to proactively work with companies and be prompt to think carefully about the essential regulations that are needed to preserve livability.

The firm said on Tuesday (6/11) that the test flights will begin in 2020 for Melbourne as well as Dallas, and Los Angles before its commercial operations in 2030. The test flights will serve passengers from one of Westfield shopping centers in Melbourne to the main international airport of the city, which is 19 km away and expected to only take 10 minutes by air—shorter time compared to the usual 25 minutes by car.

Uber Air’s air fleets are planned to include electric jet-powered vehicles - part helicopter, part fixed-wing aircraft, and part drone. In addition, the on-demand air taxis can be ordered the same way Uber’s road-taxis are hailed which is through the smartphone app.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-elevate/uber-picks-melbourne-as-test-site-for-flying-taxi-service-idUSKCN1TD01T