Israeli start-up AIR makes its first unmanned flight: vertical ascent for two people

Beijing, Dec. 21 (Xinhua)-- an Israeli-made electric car designed to allow commuters to take short trips on crowded streets has made its first driverless flight, according to Reuters. Developers say the milestone will help bring it to market in the next two years.

An employee of ▲ Israeli startup AIR sits in a prototype of AIR ONE, considering the huge advances in drone technology, and the flight during the test phase may not be surprising at first glance. Another propeller plane rose vertically from the ground and rushed high into the air.

▲ Tuyuan Reuters, a driverless car developed by Israeli startup AIR, can carry two people, an operator and a passenger on a single charge and can travel up to 100 miles (about 160.93 km). AIR and many competitors around the world believe that this form of travel will eventually become common.

"this is an important milestone and we have made the transition to flying forward today, which brings us closer to AIR ONE's dream of mass production," said Rani Prout, the company's chief executive and co-founder.