Rome – As part of the project to make flying taxis a reality, the first tests of them were carried out at Rome’s Fumicino Airport. The aim is to have the first flying taxis on display in the Italian capital in 2024 and to develop the service to the public within a year.
The battery-powered two-seater air taxis were tested at a media event titled ‘Flying to the Future – Vertiport Experience in Rome’. Flying Taxis, the future taxi initiative, is part of a collaboration between German urban air mobility company Volocopter and Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), an Italy-based global company that manages motorways and airports.
The electric flying taxi can take passengers to the center of Rome in 20 minutes. Officials hope the initiative, which is expected to attract millions of pilgrims to Rome, will be operational in 2025, in time for the Vatican’s jubilee year.
ADR Chairman Claudio De Vincenti said: “We have invested in this futuristic project that will make Rome one of the first cities of air mobility and we hope that this will be a big step forward in a city that suffers from congested road traffic.”
English Summary: Rome’s Fiumicino airport tests flying taxi ahead of 2024 launch