Uber Aims to Launch Flying Car Tests in 2020

Uber Technologies Inc. plans to begin passenger tests of flying taxis in Dallas and Dubai by 2020.

The ride-sharing company is working with several aviation firms, including Bell Helicopter, to develop vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, chief product officer Jeff Holden says. The vehicles will use a recharging system being developed by ChargePoint Inc. specifically for flight applications.

In Dallas, Uber will team with Hillwood Properties next year to start building four “vertiports” with multiple landing pads and a recharging infrastructure, Holden told attendees today at Uber’s three-day Elevate Summit in Dallas. Holden was the keynote speaker at the event.

Uber also is partnering with the government of Dubai and expects to conduct passenger flights as part of the World Expo 2020 in in the United Arab Emirates city. Pricing and network optimization studies are being conducted with the Dubai Road and Transport Authority.

Uber announced plans for its flying car service last October. In February the company hired Mark Moore, a former U.S. National Air and Space Administration engineer, to head the program.