Flying taxis poised to swoop down for Brisbane Olympics
Flying taxis could fly to Australia in time for the Brisbane Olympic Games after a tech giant publicly demonstrated its first electric plane.
Uber and its partner Joby Aviation conducted a public test of the unique flying machine in the Dubai desert on Thursday, revealing plans to launch a commercial air service with futuristic vehicles in late 2026.
The flying taxi service will begin transporting passengers between four airports in Dubai before expanding to New York and Los Angeles, followed by cities in the UK and Japan.
However, one of the aviation company’s senior executives said that the 2032 Olympic Games were also on its radar and the company was in talks with the Australian Civil Aviation and Safety Authority about certification.
The announcement comes more than five years after Uber nominated Melbourne as one of the first launch pads for its flying taxi service before withdrawing from the project.
Annie Duvnjak, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility operations, announced that the US firm plans to revitalize its air travel ambitions in partnership with Joby Aviation as technology and cities improve significantly.
“Going into the sky is definitely our next dream destination,” Ms. Duvnjak said.
“As cities get bigger and more crowded… this is a great opportunity to have different options to save time, to have people use different ways to get to airports or to work.”
The flying taxis will appear as a time-saving option in the Uber app when launched, with round-trip trips to and from the plane’s launch pad included in each trip.
A one-hour road trip could be reduced to an 11-minute flight using a plane, Uber estimates, and is expected to charge a similar fare to an Uber Black ride.
“We can’t wait to be fully public, but it’s actually closer than you think,” Ms. Duvnjak said.
Featuring six propellers and four batteries for backup, the aircraft is capable of flying at speeds of up to 320 km/h and promises to be significantly quieter than a helicopter.
While the vehicle is undergoing certification in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, Joby Aviation chief product officer Eric Allison said the company was also in talks with Australia’s air transport regulator.
He said additional studies would be needed before CASA approved the new aircraft, but the company could have flying taxis operating in Australia by the Brisbane Games.
“When there are major events at the global level, there are also opportunities,” he told AAP.
“I definitely think that’s something we’ll be paying attention to.”
* The reporter went to Dubai as a guest of Uber.
