A drone capable of carrying a person at speeds of up to 100mph will begin “regular operations” in Dubai from July, according to the authorities there.
The Chinese eHang 184 drone has already had test flights, Matt al-Tayer, head of the city’s Roads and Transportation Agency, said at the World Government Summit.
“This is not only a model,” Mr al-Tayer said. “We have actually experimented with this vehicle flying in Dubai’s skies.”
The drone, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2016, has eight propellers and can carry one passenger weighing up to 100kg (220 pounds).
It will be “auto-piloted” by a command centre after the passenger chooses their destination from a touch screen.
The maximum flight time before the battery runs out is estimated at 30 minutes, which would take the passenger 31 miles.
The drone was approved for testing in Nevada in summer last year.
Global drone shipments are expected to rise 39 per cent this year to nearly three million despite increasing regulation of the market.