The names mentioned above are just a taste of the action taking place in the flying taxi space. NASA, for example, is investing in the development of advanced batteries to power these machines and is working on new air traffic management systems together with Uber, which is developing flying taxis of its own. 

There are also a host of startups that proved rather quick out of the blocks. Volocopter has been testing its 18-rotor aircraft for a number of years with trials underway in Dubai, while Ehang and Surefly recently performed their first manned flights, as did the autonomous Passenger Drone. 

The designs of these vary but all are built to more or less carry out the same task, lift urban folks up and over busy city centers to cut commute times, improve air quality and reduce congestion on the ground. Most take an electric-only approach, although some, like the Surefly and Rolls-Royce's EVTOL, use a hybrid powertrain for the extra range that it promises.