According to Gulf News, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the signing ceremony for the launch of the air taxi service in the Emirates by 2026.
Under the agreement, Dubai will become the world’s first city to establish a fully developed network of ‘vertiports’ for continuous air taxi services using electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft by 2026.
The agreement was signed by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, British Skyports Infrastructure, and US-based Joby Aviation.
In the initial phase, Joby’s air taxi service will operate from four locations: near Dubai International Airport, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah. The new service will reduce the travel time between DXB and Palm Jumeirah from 45 minutes to just 10 minutes.
The first phase of the air taxi service will include four vertiport stations located near key locations such as Dubai International Airport, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah.
The Museum of the Future, in collaboration with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, has launched the prototype of the air taxi developed by Joby Aviation. The air taxi service is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026.
The goal of the air taxi service is to make 25% of travel self-driving by 2030. The modern electric technology used in this project aims to reduce carbon emissions and support global sustainability goals.
The Joby S4 air taxi, which exemplifies advanced electric aviation technology, will accommodate four passengers and one pilot.