Melbourne has been chosen as one of three cities to experience Uber Air before anyone else, with the ride-sharing giant announcing that test flights will begin in 2020.
In a statement on Wednesday, Uber announced Melbourne would join Los Angeles and Dallas as trial cities for the aerial service, which aims to "open up urban air mobility and help alleviate transport congestion on the ground".
Commercial operation of the service will begin in 2023.
The small electronic aircraft will be able to take off and land vertically. Source: Uber
Uber Air plans to use small and electric aircraft - able to land and take-off vertically - to connect airports and other transport hubs with CBDs, limiting traffic congestion.
The Victorian government has so far been supportive of the trial.
"We are delighted that Melbourne has been chosen as the first international trial city for Uber Air. Victoria is a dynamic, innovative tech state and an economy leading the Asia Pacific region in transformative technologies,” Victorian Assistant Treasurer Robin Scott said at the Washington Summit where the plans were revealed.
According to Susan Anderson, Regional General Manager for Uber in Australia, New Zealand and North Asia, Australian governments have adopted a "forward-looking approach to ridesharing and future transport technology" - making the ground-breaking trial possible.
"This, coupled with Melbourne’s unique demographic and geospatial factors, and culture of innovation and technology, makes Melbourne the perfect third launch city for Uber Air," she said.
"We will see other Australian cities following soon after.”
Eric Allison, the global head of Uber Elevate, said the journey between Melbourne Airport and the CBD would take about 10 minutes with Uber Air.
"In the coming years, with Uber Air, we want to make it possible for people to push a button and get a flight,” he said.
The team behind the initiative, Uber Elevate, said Uber Air holds enormous potential to help reduce road congestion.
But a Melbourne-based transport planning expert doubts it will have a noticeable impact on road travel times.
"These vehicles are very low capacity," Dr Chris De Gruter from the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT said.
"They will typically carry about what a car will carry today - around 4 or 5 people."
"And so you would need a lot in the air to reduce traffic congestion on our roads.
He says there is a risk aircraft will wind up flying with no passengers.
"If a vehicle needs to go and pick up passengers from elsewhere it may need to travel with just the pilot inside.
"And so you are going to get some empty passenger running trips, which could create some visual clutter in our skies."
