Flying cars tested in eight cities as FAA works on safety measures

A Federal Aviation Administration sign hangs in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, March 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Eight American cities are currently testing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known as “flying cars,” as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) works to ensure their safety and integration into existing airspace.

FAA administrator Bryan Bedford explained that these vehicles might soon be available for order like an Uber, allowing users to fly to their desired destinations.

“We want to make sure when someone gets into one of them, they should feel like they are stepping into any commercial airline,” Bedford said. “So the certification process will be rigorous, and we are doing that through significant flight testing and evaluation. Second thing we are doing is to integrate them into the airspace safely with all the other commercial traffic that exists, and the principal reason we have to modernize.”

There is a digital infrastructure that allows these flying cars to coexist with other air traffic safely.

Bedford said the FAA is making sure there are enough charging ports for these battery-operated flying cars.