The American company Joby Aviation, which develops electric aerial vehicles for commercial passenger services, announced the start of construction on the first vertiport in its planned network of air taxis in Dubai.
Located at Dubai International Airport (DXB), the vertiport is being built in collaboration with Joby’s partners: the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (RTA) of Dubai and Skyports.
The start of construction was marked by a ceremony attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai; His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the RTA; JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, as well as representatives from Dubai’s RTA and Skyports.
The DXB vertiport is one of four initial sites that will form Joby’s vertiport network for the air taxi service the company plans to launch in the emirate by the end of 2025. The other three vertiports are planned for Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown, and Dubai Marina.
Joby’s planned service was announced as part of a definitive agreement signed between Joby, RTA, and Skyports in February 2024. This agreement included Joby’s exclusive access to Dubai’s air taxi market for a six-year period, as reported by our partner outlet, AEROIN.
“Our air taxi service in Dubai will offer tourists and residents the opportunity to experience a revolutionary way of traveling, with faster transfers between key destinations and stunning views of the city skyline,” Bevirt commented.
“With the start of construction on our air taxi network, our shared vision for electric air taxi service in Dubai is taking shape. I am grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the government of Dubai for their support and commitment to innovation,” added the Joby CEO.
The vertiport has been designed to integrate into Dubai’s multimodal transport network, offering seamless connectivity to the Dubai Metro’s Emirates 2 station, DXB airport, parking infrastructure, and other ground transport options.
Conceived to provide an exceptional passenger experience and high operational capacity, the three-level, 3,100-square-meter facility reflects a futuristic vision of air transportation focused on convenience and the uninterrupted movement of passengers.
The vertiport will feature two takeoff and landing areas, each equipped with the Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS), developed by Joby to enable rapid charging and conditioning of vehicles between flights.
Joby recently announced it has taken the first step toward becoming a certified air taxi operator in the United Arab Emirates. As part of the process to obtain an Air Operator Certificate from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, Joby will demonstrate the readiness of its aircraft and its training, maintenance, operational, and safety programs for commercial air transportation.
The electric air taxi developed by Joby is designed to carry one pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 322 km/h (200 mph), offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise generated by helicopters and zero operational emissions.
