Vertiport brings air taxi service closer

Construction is under way on the first ‘vertiport’ that will support Joby Aviation’s planned electric air taxi network in Dubai.

Work on the site at Dubai International Airport began last November. It will be one of an initial four vertiports in Dubai, with the others located at Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina. Joby hopes to launch services late this year.

The planned service was announced as part of an agreement signed by Joby, Dubai Road & Transport Authority (RTA), and infrastructure provider Skyports in February 2024.

The three-storey vertiport will be integrated with Dubai’s multimodal transport network, providing connectivity with Dubai Metro’s Emirates Station 2, Dubai International Airport, parking infrastructure and other ground transportation options.

It is planned to include two take-off and landing stands, each equipped with the Joby-designed Global Electric Aviation Charging System to support rapid vehicle re-charging between flights.

“Our air taxi service in Dubai will offer tourists and residents the opportunity to experience a revolutionary travel experience, with faster movement between key destinations and breathtaking views of the city skyline,” Joby founder and CEO, JoeBen Bevirt said.

An essential stage in the process will be Joby obtaining an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority. The AOC will demonstrate the readiness of its aircraft for passenger-paying services, as well as the necessary support services such as training and maintenance.

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility, particularly in urban settings, with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters. As an electric vehicle, it will also produce no emissions.

Meanwhile, work to bring eVTOL flights to is neighbouring Abu Dhabi is also proceeding rapidly, where Joby rival Archer Aviation has plans to provide electric air taxi services.

In December 2024, Archer announced an agreement with stakeholders to launch first commercial electric air taxi services there.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office will facilitate coordination among Abu Dhabi organisations in preparation for launch of commercial operations. These include Abu Dhabi Airports, private aviation operator Falcon Aviation Services, Etihad Aviation Training, the GCAA, Global Air Navigation Services, Global Aerospace Logistics and the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility).

At a week-long workshop at Archer’s HQ in San Jose, California, last November, representatives from Archer and the GCAA worked together to establish the necessary regulatory framework to certify Archer’s Midnight aircraft and approve commercial air taxi operations in the UAE.

Like Joby in Dubai, Archer is aiming to launch services in its Midnight eVTOL aircraft by late this year.

In February, Archer announced a ‘Launch Edition’ commercialisation programme for the Midnight. The aim is to establish a blueprint to deploy Midnight in multiple early adopter markets.

Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) is Archer’s first Launch Edition customer. Archer personnel will now work together with Abu Dhabi Aviation, which describes itself as the largest commercial helicopter operator in the region, to fly Midnight in the UAE, targeting passenger flights in Abu Dhabi.

Archer plans to deploy an initial fleet of around seven Midnight ‘Launch Edition’ aircraft to ADA, as well as pilots, technicians, and engineers to support the initial ramp-up of operations.

The Launch Edition programme “is how we’ll bring Midnight from the manufacturing line to our first customers—and it’s a playbook we’ll run repeatedly as we scale our operations globally. Thank you to Abu Dhabi Aviation for being our first Launch Edition customer,” said Archer founder and CEO, Adam Goldstein.

The aim is to start bringing in early revenues from international operations before the aircraft is certificated by the FAA, the US regulator.

Archer’s goal is to replace 60–90-minute vehicle commutes with estimated 10–20-minute electric air taxi flights. Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.