Airbus to test flying cars by the end of 2017

Aerospace giant Airbus (EPA:AIR) has plans to test prototype flying taxis before the end of 2017 as a way to tackle congested roads, CEO Tom Enders said on Monday.

Speaking at the DLD digital tech conference in Munich, Enders announced Airbus’s work on Project Vahana, an autonomous, single-passenger taxi capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The aerospace company is also developing a multi-passenger flying car – which will not be ready for testing this year.

“One hundred years ago, urban transport went underground, now we have the technological wherewithal to go above ground,” said Tom Enders. “We are in an experimentation phase, we take this development very seriously.”

Airbus formed a division called Urban Air Mobility last year. This project explores concepts such as a vehicle to transport people that can carry multiple riders. The final aim of the project an app similar to Uber, where people can book the vehicle.

Flying cars are emerging as a concept and Airbus is not the only to invest in the technology. Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) founder Larry Page has invested heavily into flying car start-ups, while Chinese company E-Hang has a prototype design.

On top of this, Uber has also said it is researching VTOL as an alternative for of travel for passengers, while Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is working on drones for delivery of packages.

“With flying, you don’t need to pour billions into concrete bridges and roads.” said Enders. “If we ignore these developments, we will be pushed out of important segments of the business,”

Airbus has also announced plans for the concept of a CityAirbus vehicle, where passengers walk a nearby helipad to board the vehicle. According to the company, this could become reality without too many regulatory changes.

The aerospace company hope to be putting their concept into production by 2021.