Flying Car Makes History, Aces First Flight Between Two Airports

A prototype flying car accomplished the first-ever test trip between airports in Slovakia, taking to the skies and landing in 35 minutes.

AirCar, billed as a "dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle" in a news release, flew from Nitra's international airport to Bratislava's airport earlier this week.

Klein Vision, the company behind it, said the flying automobile accomplished its 142nd successful landing, and the flight represented a significant development milestone. The aircraft was transformed into a sports car in under three minutes with the push of a button, and it was driven by its inventor, Stefan Klein.

The AirCar Prototype 1 model is powered by a 160 horsepower BMW engine with a fixed propeller and a ballistic parachute. According to the business, the AirCar has completed more than 40 hours of test flights, flown 8,200 feet, and reached a maximum cruising speed of 118 miles per hour.

The buzz surrounding the flying automobile concept continues to grow. Hyundai's European operations chief believes flying cars will be a reality in cities around the world by the end of the decade.

Earlier this month, the South Korean automaker and General Motors announced they were progressing with the development of flying cars.

Hyundai is developing air taxis powered by electric batteries that can transport five to six people from highly congested urban centers to airports.

Other automakers developing flying cars either alone or with startups include Toyota Motor Corp, Daimler AG and China's Geely Automobile Holdings.