Uber reveals design for air-taxis and skyports

Uber announced on Wednesday at the company’s annual Elevate Summit that its air taxies are likely to take-off in Dallas, Los Angeles and Melbourne in 2023.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave its ‘cautious’ blessings to electric VTOLs (vertical take-off and landing vehicles) for test flights to begin next year. The VTOLs are capable of carrying four passengers, just like a helicopter, at low-altitude from skyports in metro areas.

Dan Elwell, #FAA: That’s the challenge, taking an industry of incredibly bright minds and fast-moving# technology and joining that with a regulatory agency that wants #innovation, but only if it can be safely brought into an #urban environment. #UberElevate

— The FAA (@FAANews) June 11, 2019

The price per mile will definitely won’t be as regular as UBER drive because UBER Elevate predicts that it will start at $5 per mille. So $100 will be billed for a 20-mile trip

Looks for UBER Air taxi network’s skyports were revealed from various architecture and engineering firms like Gensler, SHoP, Corgan, Pickard Chilton and Arup.

A “Connection Plaza” was unveiled by Corgan having two flight pads and five charging stations for the VTOLs. Restaurants, retail stores, charging parks and fountains were also in the design.

UBER- Dallas Sky Port PHOTO: UBER

Gensler’s Skyport concept had shopping, eating and hangout spaces whereas SHoP’s design had solar panels to generate electricity for the station that would allow 72 eVTOL trips per hour.

Melbourne was declared as the third and only international city for UBER to test its air travel. For the aircraft, UBER is working with Aurora Flight Sciences, which is a part of Boeing. It showed what the electric aircraft will look from the inside.

A look inside the Cabin. PHOTO: UBER

Designed by the interior company Safran, the aircraft is designed to accommodate four passengers and a crew member, which can be a pilot also. Initially, the pilot will control the aircraft but, will just be there for precautionary measures for the self-flying aircraft.

Room for four passengers. PHOTO: UBER



The air-taxi can be shared like a regular UBER but, the only difference would be that it would be 1000 miles in the air and cruising at a much faster speed.

This article originally appeared on Mashable.