Though most of us think that flying cars are still just a futuristic idea, in reality, they are starting to inch their way into the real world. But even though the technology is still new, a growing group of tech companies, aircraft manufacturers, automakers and investors are already betting that fleets of battery-powered aircraft will give rise to air taxi services, writes The New York Times. And this group, which thinks it could happen in the next decade, also hope that the taxis may use artificial intelligence to fly themselves. No one can say for sure if flying taxis will turn out to be a real business but companies are already worried if it does turn into reality, they will be left behind. Airbus, a European aerospace company, said Tuesday that it was investing in Blade, an aviation start-up in New York. The companies are going to form a partnership to expand Blade’s helicopter hailing service in more cities around the world. Meanwhile, Uber’s chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said he expected the ride-hailing company to start flying passengers in five to 10 years. That service will be called Uber Air. Meanwhile, Boeing acquired Aurora Flight Sciences back in November, a company specializing in flight systems for pilotless aircraft, according to The Times. But the companies are not imagining some flying car from The Jetsons. Instead, these companies envision something similar to a helicopter, but much quieter and more affordable. It is almost like a drone, but big enough for humans.
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