---
title: "Flying Taxi Takes Off from International Airport for the First Time"
description: "A flying taxi just broke the record for being the first to ever take off at an international airport, while sharing airspace with commercial aircraft."
date: "2019-08-30"
modified: "2019-08-30"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/flying-taxi-international-airport-volocopter"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "flying car"
  - "flying taxi"
  - "the digest"
  - "volocopter"
---

# Flying Taxi Takes Off from International Airport for the First Time

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/flying-taxi-international-airport.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Volocopter\</em\>*

## Ready for Take Off

A flying taxi just broke the record for being the first of its kind to ever vertically take off at an international airport, while sharing the airspace with numerous commercial aircraft nearby.

The [Volocopter 2X](<https://futurism.com/a-flying-taxi-service-will-soar-through-the-skies-by-2018>), a multirotor aircraft built by German startup Volocopter, [took off](<https://press.volocopter.com/index.php/press-releases>) from the Helsinkin International Airport on Thursday. What set this particular flight apart was the fact that it was fully integrated with the airport's Air Traffic (ATM) and Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) systems.

"The \[Golf of Finland\] U-space flight trial demonstrated how ATM and UTM can act in combination to enable safe and efficient air taxi operation in urban environments, including airports," read a [press release](<https://press.volocopter.com/index.php/press-releases>).

## Flying Cabs

The news comes after Volocopter [revealed](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/volocopter-air-taxi-volocity>) its brand new commercial aircraft design earlier this month, dubbed the VoloCity. The flying car features an impressive 18 rotors with additional stabilizers, allowing it to ferry up to two passengers plus hand luggage at up to 68 mph (110 km/h).

The startup will also be showing off a [landing facility](<https://press.volocopter.com/index.php/volocopter-to-test-its-electrical-vertical-take-off-and-landing-evtol-air-taxis-in-singapore>) in Singapore before the end of the year.

**READ MORE:** [Volocopter’s 2X eVTOL records a first with flight at Helsinki International Airport](<https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/30/volocopters-2x-evtol-records-a-first-with-flight-at-helsinki-international-airport/>) \[*TechCrunch*\]

**More on Volocopter:** *[Volocopter Unveils 18-Rotor Electric Air Taxi for Two](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/volocopter-air-taxi-volocity>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)