Urban air transport will look much like on-demand helicopter operations when it begins. And if it stays that way, little will have to change. But Uber and others are planning fleets of hundreds of aircraft, flying thousands of flights a day over a city. That will require major changes in how aircraft are operated and airspace is managed. Uber intends to start slow but expand rapidly to achieve the high-density, high-utilization operations necessary for ubiquitous, low-cost service. "By 2020, we will be flying experimental aircraft in the relevant environment of an urban area," says Mark Moore, engineering director for aviation.
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