All of the flying car concepts, which are like
drones big enough to hold humans, promise
to be better than helicopters. Helicopters are
expensive to maintain, noisy to fly and require
trained pilots. Flying cars also are being touted
as useful for disaster relief.
U.S. ride-sharing and transportation network
Uber is planning demonstrator flights in 2020
and commercial operations in 2023, and has
chosen Dallas, Los Angeles and Melbourne as the
first cities to offer what it calls Uber Air flights.
Dubai has also been aggressive about pursuing
flying cars. Japanese officials say Japan has a
good chance of emerging as a world leader
because the government and the private sector
will work closely together.