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Flying All Over
Uber signs contract with NASA to develop flying taxi ‘Uber Elevate’ service

Flying cars have been the stuff of science fiction for years, but many companies these days are starting to turn it into reality; Uber is no exception.

The company has been working on plans to bring a flying taxi service called ‘Uber Elevate’ for some time now. During the recent Web Summit in Portugal, Jeff Holden, Uber’s head of product, revealed that the company has recently entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA to help turn its flying-taxi vision of the future into a reality. According to the agreement, Uber will be working with NASA to figure out traffic management for flying cars, which includes how unmanned aerial systems (UAS), such as drones that fly at a low altitude, can operate safely.

According to Holden, the electric flying taxi flies 150 to 200 miles an hour, and ranges up to 60 miles on a single battery charge. It would compress a one and a half hour journey from LAX to the Staples Center during rush hour to under 30 minutes.

The company also announced Los Angeles will be the third test city, along with Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai, to test the flying taxi service in 2020. They are targeting to launch the service commercially by 2023, so LA residents could be using the service regularly by the time the city hosts the 2028 Olympics.