Back in 2017, Uber first unveiled its Uber Air ride-sharing concept. Since then, it has been continuously developing the idea, which it calls the future of transport. Now, the company has announced its plans to take its urban air ride-sharing plans global with a new trial that will launch in Australia, along with a new aviation partner to develop suitable aircraft.
In 2020, Melbourne will become the third world city to test the new air ride-sharing service. If successful, more Australian cities will follow. As early as 2023, customers will have access to flights on-demand with Uber Air in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne. The air ride-sharing will be made possible through a network of ‘skyports’ that (in the future) will be able to handle as many as 1,000 landings per hours, in a dense space.
The group said:
We are looking for cities with aspirational vision who are investing in their transportation systems and wish to bring Uber Air to market for their residents as quickly as possible. These cities will be the first to offer Uber Air flights with the goal to begin demonstrator flights in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023.
Uber has partnered with six aviation groups to develop passenger aircraft that can be used in urban environments to deliver on its high-tech concept in such a short time. These 6 include Bell, Embraer-X, Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Vertical Solutions, Karem Aircraft, and Jaunt. They are all designing prototypes for Uber’s plans.
Uber showcased its first passenger drone vehicle, built in partnership with Safran Cabin, at its Elevate conference in Washington DC. The showcase revealed the design for its flying taxi cabin, which can seat up to four passengers and fly them at 150 mph while burning no fossil fuels.
To start, the company is launching helicopter rides from within its app between New York City and John F. Kennedy International Airport, beginning in July. This will launch the system and get it running, then, it hopes to launch shared electric flights on hybrid airplane-helicopter aircraft shortly after. These special aircraft will be transporting people in cities around the world and all with no emissions!
Without further ado, here’s what the first mock interior of what that vehicle looks like:
