Uber unveiling plans for flying taxi program

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Uber is unveiling sky high plans for flying taxis. The company is developing plans for shared air transportation between suburbs and cities -- and ultimately within cities.

It wants to launch the service in 2023 starting in the Dallas and Los Angeles area. Uber and its manufacturing partners are working on electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and plan to begin demo flights in 2020.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the Uber copter program is undergoing testing in New York with the goal of flying passengers from Manhattan to JFK Airport for approximately $200 starting July 9.

FOX 5's Bob Barnard visited the Uber Elevate Summit Wednesday in Washington, D.C. and got an up-close look at the Bell Nexus, a flying taxi model that is being designed for quick, urban air travel. The company said that the earliest we would see one in the air would be 2025.