Flying taxis just took a step closer to becoming a reality, thanks to the first test firing of the CityAirbus' propulsion system. French aeronautics firm Airbus is among a number of companies working on bringing vertical take off and landing (VTOL) technology to the masses. The project was first announced last year, with the first full test flight scheduled for the end of 2018. If successful, it could see fully automated versions of the aircraft take to the skies in the near future. Flying taxis just took a step closer to becoming a reality, thanks to the first test firing of the CityAirbus' propulsion system.

Cities are growing worldwide and traffic as we know it will only get worse. Airbus Group's urban air mobility division predicts that by 2030, 60 percent of the population will live in cities, up from 50 percent today. The aircraft giant, second in size only to Boeing, is developing three separate solutions to urban congestion and they all look to the skies. Airbus is working on a single-passenger vehicle, package delivery drones, and autonomous buses. Airbus CEO Tom Enders spoke about the company's projects in Munich at the DLD conference where he told attendees he hopes the company will demonstrate a single person flying vehicle by year's end, Reuters reported.

Last year, Airbus unveiled its plans to create a fleet of self-flying taxis to help commuters avoid the ever-growing issue of traffic during rush-hour. And it seems that we might not have to wait long to hail a flying car. Airbus has revealed that it plans to test its first single-person prototype by the end of 2017. Last year, Airbus unveiled its plans to create a fleet of self-flying taxis to help commuters avoid the ever-growing issue of traffic during rush-hour. And it seems that commuters might not have to wait long to hail a flying car.