A radical electric passenger drone developed by Airbus has completed its first full transition flight, proving its ability to take off vertically and accelerate to over 100 miles per hour before slowing down for a soft landing. Vahana, the project working to bring the craft to life under Airbus's innovation arm, shared incredible footage of the accomplishment this week. The test marked Vahana's 66th flight, a number it has since surpassed by more than a dozen. In a blog post announcing the milestone, Vahana's Zach Lovering said the test'represents everything we set out to achieve when we began our flight test campaign.' The successful full transition flight was performed on May 3 in Oregon. 'In the video, you'll see Vahana take off vertically and then accelerate forward, much like in other videos we've shared,' Lovering explains.

Flying taxis could be close to taking flight within the next ten years. That's according to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg, who said the aerospace giant has been testing prototypes of sophisticated flying taxis that could one day be capable of ferrying humans to and from places, not unlike an Uber. 'I think it will happen faster than any of us understand,' Muilenberg told Bloomberg. 'Real prototype vehicles are being built right now, so the technology is very doable,' he added. Pictured is the LightningStrike, a flying taxi created by Aurora Flight Sciences, that can ferry passengers between locations called'urban vertiports,' similar to high-tech helipads Muilenberg has been designing what would be the'rules of the road for three-dimensional highways' that carry autonomous flying taxis, Bloomberg noted.

Airbus has shared new footage of its autonomous robot taxi taking to the skies for the first time. The flying taxi, dubbed Alpha One, is part of Project Vahana, the aerospace giant's advanced projects division. The video shows the self-flying drone hovering above the ground for about a minute or so, before smoothly lowering itself back to the ground. Airbus posted the video on Thursday, a month after the test flight took place at the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range in Oregon, close to a nearby airport where the craft has been stored since November 2017. Airbus' plans to create a fleet of self-flying taxis have moved a step closer to becoming reality, thanks to the first successful test flight of a full-scale prototype. Project Vahana's aircraft, dubbed Alpha One, took to the skies for the first time, flying for a total of 53 seconds AlphaOne is a full-scale aircraft that's all-electric and self-piloted.

Airbus' plans to create a fleet of self-flying taxis have moved a step closer, thanks to the first successful test flight of a full-scale prototype. Project Vahana's aircraft, dubbed Alpha One, took to the skies for the first time, flying for a total of 53 seconds. With further testing, the firm hopes to have a commercial version of the craft in operation by 2020. Airbus' plans to create a fleet of self-flying taxis have moved a step closer to becoming reality, thanks to the first successful test flight of a full-scale prototype. Project Vahana's aircraft, dubbed Alpha One, took to the skies for the first time, flying for a total of 53 seconds The test flights took place at the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range in Oregon, close to a nearby airport where the craft has been stored since November 2017. Alpha One climbed to a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground at 8:52am PT (11.52am

Traveling from point A to point B in a flying car may sound like it would break the bank, but Airbus has revealed a trip in its airborne vehicle will cost'the equivalent of a normal taxi'. The France-based firm is set to unleash its electric aircraft, called Project Vahana, in 2020, which aims to reduce traffic jams around the world - people will summon the flying taxi with a push of a button. Zach Lovering, the project leader at Airbus, told Business Insider that passengers should expect to pay $1.50 to $2.50 per mile – the low cost is possible because the craft does not need the same maintenance as ground cabs. Traveling from point A to point B in a flying car may sound like it would break the bank, but Airbus has revealed a trip in its airborne vehicle will cost'the equivalent of a normal taxi Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. The first conceptual renders have been revealed showing a sleek self-flying aircraft with room for one passenger who sits under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor.

Airbus's vision for driverless flying taxis is one step closer to becoming a reality. MTSI and SOAR Oregon have been jointly awarded a'Flight Test and Range' to test the single seater self-piloted flying vehicle that can carry both cargo and human passengers. Airbus's innovation division, A³, unveiled plans for'Project Vahana' earlier this year, and says it hopes to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model for sale on the market by 2020. Airbus's innovation division, A³, previously unveiled plans for'Project Vahana', which aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model for sale on the market by 2020. Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. The first conceptual renders have been revealed showing a sleek self-flying aircraft with room for one passenger who sits under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor.

Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour could soon be a thing of the past. Airbus is working on a fleet of air taxis with the hopes of relieving urban congestion and the firm has unveiled its first conceptual renderings. Called Vahana, this sleek self-flying aircraft seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor and the vehicle is designed to operate like a helicopter. Airbus has been working on a fleet of air taxis with the hopes of relieving urban congestion and the firm has unveiled its first conceptual renderings. Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.

Traffic during rush-hour is an ever-growing issue for commuters. With 60 per cent of the world's population expected to live in cities by 2030, the problem is only going to get worse. But there may be good news that could cut commute times right down. Airbus is designing a fleet of self-flying taxis in the hopes of relieving urban congestion. Airbus is designing a fleet of self-flying taxis in the hopes of relieving urban congestion.