Dubai is set to revolutionise urban transportation by introducing fully electric air taxis in the first quarter of 2026 as part of its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) initiatives, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reports citing a senior official.

Powered by Joby Aviation, the first point of the four vertiports of the Dubai flying taxi is expected to go into operation in the first quarter of 2026, stated Khaled Al Awadhi, Director of the Transportation Systems Department at Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in statements on the sidelines of the World Congress and Exhibition on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS World Congress) in Dubai. The event, a leading global platform for shaping the future of mobility, is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 16th to 20th September.

The project is considered an ambitious step in the field of autonomous air transportation, and aims to provide a modern and efficient means of transportation, as the air taxi is expected to serve different areas of the city, with a focus on linking the service to hotels and the airport, he added.

According to Al Awadhi, the innovative initiative promises swift and safe mobility between key locations in the Emirate, offering passengers a futuristic mode of travel above the cityscape.

Tyler Trerotola, General Manager for the Middle East, Joby Aviation, stated that these electric air taxis will operate from four vertiports: Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Downtown.

They are designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at 320 km/h, which means passengers can get from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah in 10-12 minutes as compared with 45 minutes by car, he added.

Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports), the leader in vertiport infrastructure for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry, signed during the World Governments Summit in February a Definitive Agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and all-electric aircraft company Joby Aviation to launch passenger air taxi services in Dubai by 2026.