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Dubai to launch air taxi service in 2026: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), and the UK’s Skyports Infrastructure signed an agreement to establish transport infrastructure to deploy electric air taxis in Dubai by 2026, Wam reports. The move makes Dubai the first city to launch a commercial electric aerial taxi service.
Who’s doing what: California-based eVTOL manufacturer Joby Aviation will provide ridesharing services, Skyport will design, construct and operate a network of vertiports, and RTA be responsible for the air mobility services.
About the service: The aerial taxi service will use the Joby Aviation S4 — a four-seater aircraft that can fly up to 321 km per hour, with a range of 161 km. The service will initially operate at four locations; near Dubai International Airport, Downtown, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah. The vertiports will feature take-off and landing zones, dedicated spaces for passengers and security checks, electric charging stations, and integration with public transport systems.
Joby is already in UAE: Joby Aviation joined Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster in October. The cluster aims to establish a smart and autonomous vehicle development hub in Masdar city.
Big clean aviation plans: The Abu Dhabi Investment Office signed an agreement with US-based, Mubadala-Capital-backed net-zero aircraft maker Archer Aviation last month to explore the possibility of establishing an air taxi network in the Emirates by 2026. The firm also signed agreements with French company Ascendance and Italy’s Manta Aircraft to join SAVI.
