The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has extended the test run of its manned Autonomous Air Taxi (AAT) to meet all operational requirements of safety and security for these type of vehicles. The RTA also announced the signing of an agreement with the German VOLOCOPTER Ccompany; a specialist in the manufacturing of Autonomous Air Vehicles, to launch the first vehicle capable of carrying two passengers. The trial operation of this taxi will begin gradually in the fourth quarter of 2017.

“The test run of the first Autonomous Air Taxi capable of carrying two passengers is in implementation of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city worldwide. It also comes as part of RTA’s efforts to provide autonomous transportation by conducting the required technological tests of those vehicles under the climatic conditions of Dubai. The move also echoes Dubai’s Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy that seeks to transform a quarter of the total mobility journeys in Dubai into autonomous transport by 2030. Another objective is to enhance the integration between mass transit modes and people’s happiness by providing smooth, fast and innovative transit modes,” according to HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

“The AAT is powered by electricity and has high safety features, thanks to its design comprising 18 rotors to ensure safe cruising and landing of the taxi in case of any rotor failure. The air taxi is characterized by its autopilot or autonomous flying, thus enabling the movement of people from place to another without human intervention or a need for flight license holder,” continued Al Tayer.