A future filled with flying cars could be closer than we think. AirCar, a car-aircraft hybrid, has taken to the skies for a 35-minute flight between airports in Slovakia.
Created by Stefan Klein, the founder and chief executive of Klein Vision, the AirCar is equipped with a BMW engine and runs on regular petrol fuel. It takes only two minutes and 15 seconds to convert from car to aircraft, BBC reports.
In front of a group of invited reporters and town residents, Klein showed off the creation which reached a cruising speed of 170 kilometres per hour while in the air. The hybrid can carry two people with a combined weight limit of 200 kilograms. It can also fly a distance of about 1,000km at a height of around 2,500 metres. However, unlike drone-taxi prototypes, the AirCar cannot take off and land vertically and requires a runway.
Klein described the journey as "pleasant" and "normal", and said the aircraft took two years to build and costs about $2.3 million.
According to the Klein Vision website, the AirCar has been in development since 2017. A description of the prototype reads: “In the car mode, the object generates downforce using spoiler and elevator pitch whereas in the aircraft mode the entire surface generates lift. Lift body concept includes future development for the spacious interior and for the variety of models: three and four-seaters, twin-engine, and amphibious version.”
Anton Rajac, an adviser and investor in Klein Vision, told the BBC that the company hopes to attract a small percentage of global airline or taxi sales.
"There are about 40,000 orders of aircraft in the United States alone," Rajac said. "If we convert 5 per cent of those, to change the aircraft for the flying car – we have a huge market.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
