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Dubai to launch air taxi service in 2026

Dubai's air taxis will operate from four 'vertiports', carrying a pilot and four passengers at 320km per hour Wam
Dubai's air taxis will operate from four 'vertiports', carrying a pilot and four passengers at 320km per hour

Dubai is planning to launch an air taxi service in 2026, using Joby Aviation’s fully electric vehicles.

In February, Joby Aviation, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, announced plans to soft-launch air taxi services in Dubai by early 2025.

The air taxis are designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at 320km per hour, taking passengers from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah in 10-12 minutes compared with 45 minutes by road.

The air taxis will focus on providing a service from hotels and the airport, he said.

The air taxis will operate from four ‘vertiports’: Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Downtown, said Tyler Trerotola, general manager for the Middle East at Joby Aviation.

The first vertiport is slated to start operating in the first quarter of 2026, state-run Wam news agency reported, citing Khaled Al Awadhi, director of the transportation systems department at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)..

Skyports Infrastructure, a UK-based vertiport infrastructure developer, has signed an agreement with RTA this year.

In April, Joby Aviation signed agreements with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport, Department of Economic Development and Department of Culture and Tourism to establish and expand air taxi operations in the UAE capital. 

Last November, the US company became the first to fly an electric air taxi in New York City. It has raised over $2 billion in funding, which includes investments from Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom, Uber and Baillie Gifford.