Boeing's flying taxi completes first test flight

With a range of 50 miles, the prototype hints at the aerial vehicles that will be used for Uber Elevate.

Boeing is celebrating the first test flight for its NeXt air taxi, referred to as an autonomous passenger air vehicle (PAV).

The prototype completed a controlled takeoff, hover and landing, allowing engineers to test its autonomous functions and ground control systems. Further test flights will be used to validate forward, wing-borne flight, along with the transition between vertical and forward-flight modes.

"In one year, we have progressed from a conceptual design to a flying prototype," said Boeing CTO Greg Hyslop.

The all-electric aircraft is designed for fully autonomous flight with a range of up to 50 miles, targeting a new form of "urban air mobility." Boeing is among several partners collaborating with Uber's Elevate division to explore how such vehicles can be used to dodge street-level car traffic.

Numerous startups and established aerospace companies are building and testing similar concepts. An unprecedented regulatory framework will be necessary for the ideas to take off, as current laws will require a trained human pilot to be in command of the aircraft at all times. Eliminating the need for a pilot on each air taxi will be critical for slashing costs, though such regulations could take many years to develop.