Flying taxis are no longer to exist in just films or novella; the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) is on a mission to make this vision a reality, recently announcing plans for the trial of the Autonomous Air taxi (AAT) by the end of 2017.
RTA signed an agreement with the German company Volocopter, a specialist in the manufacturing of autonomous air vehicles, to build the flying taxis capable of carrying two persons.
HE Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, said that the test run of the first Autonomous Air Taxi capable of carrying two persons is in implementation of the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city worldwide.
He added: The air taxi is characterized by its autopilot or autonomous flying, thus enabling the movement of people from one place to another without human intervention or a need for a flight license holder,
The move also echoes the Dubai Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy that seeks to transform a quarter of the total mobility journeys in Dubai into autonomous transport by 2030.
But the appearance of the flying taxis in our daily lives are yet to take some time. RTA expects the trial run to continue for about five years during which all operational aspects would be assessed, and security and safety issues verified.
Al Tayer explained the procedures involved: The RTA is working with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority to develop the legislative and operational guidelines, define specifications and standards applicable to operators in the emirate such that these legislations will be ready before the date set for the commercial and official operation of the autonomous air vehicles. It is noteworthy that the operational and legislative structures will be the first of their kind worldwide. It will coordinate and cooperate with its strategic partners in the Emirate in setting the routes of these aerial vehicles, take-off and landing points of these taxis as well as the logistics needed.
RTA had previously carried out the first test run of an autonomous aerial vehicle, Ehang 184, capable of carrying a human, early this year. The vehicle was displayed at the World Government Summit in Dubai in February.