Dubai has staged a test flight for the world’s first drone taxi service on Monday called The Autonomous Air Taxi (AAT) at the Jumeirah Beach Park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Developed by German drone firm Volocopter, the flying taxi looks like a two-seater helicopter cabin that features 18 propellers to ensure secure cruising and landing in case of any rotor failure. 
Masterminded by Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA), it is meant to fly without remote control guidance and with a maximum flight duration of 30 minutes. It comes with plenty of fail-safes in case of trouble: backup batteries, rotors and, for a worst-case scenario, a couple of parachutes. According to RTA, it is expected to be put into use in the fourth quarter, the AAT is powered by electricity and is highly safe.
“It is environment-friendly as it is powered by clean electricity, and it has very little noise. It has a maximum flight time of approximately 30 minutes at a speed of 50 km per hour, and a maximum air speed of 100 km per hour,” said RTA.
Alexander Zosel, Volocopter’s co-founder and chief innovation officer, said in an interview with Reuters ahead of the Dubai trial: “We only go public when we can show something that flies. We show facts, not visions.”Photo Credit: Getty
