Uber says flying taxi service could be here in 5-10 years
The ride-hailing company previously said it planned to have flying taxis running in Los Angeles by 2020.
Uber announced in 2017 that its flying taxi service will cost the same as Uber X at launch.
Uber still has its eyes on the skies and it looks like flying Ubers could be commercialised within five to 10 years.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi made the prediction at an investment forum in Tokyo, according to a report in Reuters. The forum was part of his first trip to Asia as CEO.
The ride-hailing company has been floating the idea of a flying taxi service since 2016, when it published a 99-page white paper on "Uber Elevate," its vision for on-demand urban air transportation. The goal is to build a network of small electric aircraft called VTOLs (which stands for "vertical takeoff and landing") that will hover, take off and land vertically, working like quieter and cost-effective helicopters.
Uber has since worked with NASA on plans to have flying vehicles up and running in Los Angeles by 2020. It is not clear whether the plans for Los Angeles will be affected by Mr Khosrowshahi's comments in Tokyo.
Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.