This innovative regulatory framework represents a significant leap in integrating Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions into existing aviation systems. It offers a cost-effective model for infrastructure development, accelerates operational readiness, and aligns with the UAE government’s directives to implement high-efficiency, non-bureaucratic solutions across various sectors.

His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA, said: “The UAE has always been at the forefront of excellence in aviation. This pioneering regulatory framework does not merely enable new technology; it redefines how aviation evolves. It reflects our commitment to innovation in developing a supportive ecosystem for the growth of this vital sector and a future where advanced air mobility is seamlessly integrated into our national infrastructure.”

The hybrid operations framework results from close collaboration with international partners in the advanced air mobility sector and is fully aligned with the UAE’s national vision for sustainability, smart mobility, and optimised infrastructure use. By enabling dual-use between conventional helicopter pads and electric vertical takeoff and landing pads, this initiative helps accelerate implementation timelines, optimises infrastructure utilisation, and cements the UAE’s position as a leader in fostering an integrated ecosystem supporting the future of aviation.

Aqeel Al Zarouni, assistant director general for Aviation Safety Affairs at the GCAA, added: “We are proud to develop a regulatory framework that combines innovation with effective safety oversight. This framework is a strategic enabler, not only for new modes of transport but for a smarter, more flexible regulatory environment that keeps pace with emerging technologies without compromising safety standards.”

A first in the eVTOL sector, these efforts will further develop Joby’s readiness in anticipation of carrying its first passengers in 2026. This milestone also marks a significant step in Joby’s three-pronged commercialisation strategy: direct operations, aircraft sales, and regional partnerships.

“The United Arab Emirates is a launchpad for a global revolution in how we move,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “In addition to building a performant aircraft, we’ve also been maturing our program for anticipated passenger service with global operational capabilities and scalable, durable manufacturing. Our flights and operational footprint in Dubai are a monumental step toward weaving air taxi services into the fabric of daily life worldwide. With our visionary partners, we’re igniting a future where quiet, clean flight is the new normal, and we’re demonstrating the leadership of American innovation on the global stage.”

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, director general, chairman of the board of executive directors of the roads and transport authority – Dubai also witnessed the inaugural test flights in Dubai, gaining a front-row view of the progress toward their vision for safe and future-ready mobility.

The achievement was made possible by Joby's collaboration with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), and the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Building on the landmark 2024 agreement with the RTA that granted Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years, it positions Joby at the forefront of shaping the future of transportation and reinforces the UAE's role as a leader in advanced air mobility.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, director general, chairman of the board of executive directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said: “The launch of the air taxi’s trial operation reflects UAE leadership’s vision to advance sustainable and innovative mobility across all public and shared transport modes. It underscores Dubai’s commitment to keeping pace with rapid global transformations and developing future-ready solutions to emerging mobility challenges.

“The air taxi will introduce a new premium service for residents and visitors seeking smooth, fast, and safe travel to key destinations across the city. The service will also strengthen integration with public transport systems and individual mobility options such as e-scooters and bicycles, enabling seamless multimodal travel and enhanced connectivity across Dubai, ensuring a smooth and convenient experience for all passengers.”

Joby aims to introduce its commercial service at Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Downtown, with vertiport construction already underway. The DXB to Palm Jumeirah trip, for example, is expected to take only 12 minutes, cutting a 45-minute car ride down to a fraction of the time. Joby’s aircraft is designed to transport a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph (~320 km/h), with minimal noise and zero operating emissions. It offers faster, quieter, and more convenient air travel for short commutes, quick trips and seamless mobility across the region.

Despite ATR’s postponement of its next-generation EVO project, the two companies are proceeding with research and technology work toward a hybrid-electric propulsion system. The timeframe illustrates the commercial aircraft sector’s struggles to move away from conventional engines and meet its decarbonisation objective.

ATR and P&WC are considering a major evolution of the current PW127XT turboprop, according to Daniel Cuchet, ATR’s head of engineering. They are counting on new materials to withstand higher temperatures and therefore cut the turboprop engine’s fuel consumption.

“We are talking about two-digit improvements in power and efficiency,” Cuchet says. The two companies are simultaneously exploring a hybrid-electric powertrain, where both the thermal engine and an electric motor can drive the propeller.

Batteries would be associated to a converter to supply 800VDC current to the motor, itself connected to the main gearbox. As ATRs do not have auxiliary power units and often operate from airports with little ground support equipment, the layout would enable recharging the batteries in 15-20 min. between flights.

Compared to thermal efficiencies, which are already very high, batteries leave much more room for improvement, Cuchet says. “That is what you need to work on as a priority,” he says.

He thus praises the recent announcement by Safran and Saft to work jointly on the next generation of batteries. The two companies intend to rely on lithium manganese ferro phosphate chemistry for higher specific energy, measured in energy content per weight unit.

As a third avenue of progress, ATR engineers are going to study the airframe’s aerodynamics, including engine integration. They may also find ways to reduce the aircraft’s weight, Cuchet adds.

“With those technologies, we are thinking of 2035 for entry into service,” he says. “And you can work on all those subjects in parallel.”

They may thus feed the broader EVO project, which also includes new avionics. Or they may enable an earlier evolution of the ATR 72-600, Cuchet says.

“As India accelerates its journey towards self-reliance in aerospace and defence, our Nagpur facility will become a critical hub for the indigenous design, manufacturing, and maintenance of helicopters tailored for both civilian and defence applications,” Bharat Malkani, the chairman of Max Aerospace, told Aviation Week at Le Bourget.

Max Aerospace, formed in 1994, is a Mumbai-based aviation engineering firm that specialises in the modification and maintenance of military aircraft.

“This deal has been in the making for a few years, and we’ve been working with our preferred OEM partner for some time,” said Malkani. The helicopter manufacturer and the model to be built in India will be announced in around a month, he noted.

“For us to be able to successfully build helicopters in India we’ve been in deep discussions with all stakeholders to develop an ecosystem that works,” said Malkani. “Our state government in Maharashtra has been extremely supportive and forward thinking to partner with us.”

The government of Maharashtra will be a stakeholder in the joint venture firm created to produce the helicopters. The international helicopter manufacturer will be a technology partner with Max Aerospace and potentially part of the joint venture company, noted Malkani.

The plan calls for construction of the factory to begin by the end of 2026 pending the necessary regulatory approvals with the first helicopters rolling off the line 18 months later, he explained.

The production plan calls for 10-12 helicopters to be manufactured annually in the first phase of the venture’s operation with 50% of the aircraft, excluding the engine, manufactured in India, said Malkani.

“We are confident we will achieve more than 50% of local content in the aircraft from day one based on discussions with the various partners that we know will come on board with Max,” he noted. “There is a strong aviation ecosystem around the Nagpur region to draw upon.”

“The real challenge is the engine, which will have to be delivered in the first phase from outside India. We have not had detailed discussions with the engine companies yet, but our belief is there is a business case to set up an engine factory in India. It will probably be the last part of the puzzle.”

Malkani has long harboured an ambition for Max Aerospace to enter the aircraft production game: “Max was founded with the intention one day of manufacturing aircraft. This is not just a project, it is a national commitment, and it is time India as a sovereign nation had indigenous aircraft production.”

The market demand for civil and military helicopters in India is expected to grow significantly in the coming two decades.

Under its “Make in India” initiative, the Indian government has for several years been encouraging overseas aerospace players to establish manufacturing operations in the country.

At present, stated-owned Hindustan Aeronautics is India’s predominant helicopter manufacturer, producing several models mainly for the Indian military.

Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), a J-V between India’s Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Boeing, manufactures the fuselage for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter at its factory in Hyderabad.

In January 2024, Airbus Helicopters unveiled a partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd to establish a production line for its H125 model. Bangalore was chosen as the site for the final assembly line in March this year.

Using a distributed electric powerplant to draw energy from onboard batteries, testing will verify the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic configurations of the production aircraft. The remotely controlled model will generate data representative of the full-size aircraft to verify and confirm the results of computational modelling already completed.

Following on from digital simulations, real-world testing is expected to deliver valuable data on how the aircraft performs during landing, taxiing, and taking off from water. To optimise the full potential of flight testing, the 1:9 aerodynamic prototype will be used for initial verification work. Two amphibious flying boats are currently being modified as proof-of-concept aircraft and will be used subsequently to validate the combined digital and real-world data. The purpose-built ultralight test beds will further derisk the programme and inform detailed design modifications ahead of full-scale prototype construction. 

“After extensive virtual trials and simulations, our engineers are excited to begin flying the 1:9 prototype. The flight testing marks an important milestone on our journey to bring next-generation electric amphibious aircraft to operators globally,” says CEO and co-founder George Alafinov. “Flying the scaled models and modified ultralights moves JEKTA one step closer to flying a full-scale prototype of the PHA-ZE 100, confirming that we’re on track with plans to introduce our new aircraft to the global air transport network in 2030. Testing presents an excellent opportunity for us to showcase progress to date and the future potential of the PHA-ZE 100 to investors and customers.” 

Flight testing of the 1:9 prototype is taking place at an undisclosed location and is scheduled to be completed in September. JEKTA’s team has already gained extensive experience with amphibious aircraft design through the production of more than 90 single-engine ultralight and twin-engine flying boats. Alafinov adds, “We are drawing on years of amphibious aircraft experience by basing our full-size test beds on ultralight aircraft of our design. That experience means our customers can be confident that the PHA-ZE 100 is built on solid foundations by engineers who understand how to trial the real-world application of amphibious aircraft design successfully.”

The JEKTA PHA-ZE 100 already has more than USD$1 billion of forward commitments from customers and is scheduled to begin production at its Payerne facility in 2028/29.

Leonardo plans to deliver the first in September and the second in mid-2026.

“We see the potential of the Indian market and are fully committed to seeing the success of these helicopters,” said Aylin Yildiz, director of Universal Vulkaan. The company is Leonardo’s authorised distributor for civil helicopters in India.

Last year, the company ordered five AW09s because “we see a strong interest in the next-generation, single-engine helicopters,” she added.

A strategic partnership with the African Drone Forum (ADF) – Africa’s largest platform for drone professionals, startups, policymakers, and national drone ecosystem leaders – will enhance this year’s summit.

On Day 2, the ADF will host a dedicated symposium at the Insight Theatre within the main exhibition hall. This session will provide detailed analysis and discussions, highlighting the vast opportunities within the drone sector and how Africa’s aviation industry can strategically benefit.

“This is a great addition to the whole Aviation Africa week,” said summit chairman Alan Peaford. “It is also very appropriate that we are in Rwanda where the world first saw Zipline operating medical delivery drones in shared airspace thanks to the forward thinking of the country’s civil aviation authority.

“As more of these activities spread across the continent it is a great opportunity for regulators across the region to meet and share ideas to help keep Africa at the forefront of knowledge of real operations for uncrewed aircraft.”

Several exhibitors from the sector will be taking space at the Aviation Africa event.

The main stage session, ‘Africa’s Low-Altitude Drone Economy: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Investment, and Infrastructure’ moderated by Eno Umoh, co-founder of Global Air U and the Global Air Drone Academy, will feature key manufacturers, financiers, investors, and operators. It will explore topics such as Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, regulatory approaches by various African Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA’s), and case studies from proof-of-concept drone corridors.

The session will offer a deep dive into ‘Beyond Visual Line of Sight’ operations—what’s possible today, what’s holding us back, and how different CAAs are approaching risk, permissions, and proof-of-concept corridors.

Aviation Africa also anticipate potential live demonstrations of eVTOL aircraft at the event.

GACA President, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, praised the ‘remarkable progress’ achieved by Saudi Vision 2030 over the past nine years and the realisation of 93% of its targets.

He noted that the civil aviation sector has witnessed significant transformations in the course of Vision 2030, thanks to the unwavering support of the wise leadership, enabling the Kingdom to firmly establish itself as a global aviation hub with a competitive regional and international position.

The President further stated that overall achievement of the Vision’s indicators and initiatives has reached 100%, with Saudi Arabia now ranking 17th globally in the Air Connectivity Index as per the International Air Transport Association (IATA), surpassing the 2024 target by two ranks.

“2024 marked a pivotal milestone in Saudi Arabia’s journey of achievement, with the number of passengers traveling through Saudi airports exceeding 128 million, the number of flights surpassing 905,000, and air cargo volumes exceeding 1.2 million tons. Additionally, Saudi airports and national carriers secured leading positions across multiple international indicators and rankings,” he said.

Al-Duailej explained that the "Localisation of Aviation Jobs" initiative also demonstrated an outstanding performance in 2024, with the employment of 14,317 Saudi men and women—representing 124% of the total target of 11,500 jobs by the end of 2025. The focus remained on specialised, qualitative, and leadership positions across airports, airlines, and ground services. He also highlighted the sector’s notable progress in female empowerment, with the representation of women in leadership positions rising to 17%.

The President highlighted GACA’s launching of a trial air taxi service during the 1445 AH Hajj season, granting of licenses for various innovative aviation technologies, opening of new passenger terminals, and expansion of several regional airports, all in line with Saudi Arabia's adoption of future-oriented solutions and promotion of sustainability in the aviation sector.

“The Kingdom’s civil aviation sector has witnessed substantial progress since the inauguration of the National Aviation Strategy,” added Al-Duailej.

“This includes the privatisation of airports and their transfer to the Airports Holding Company; the unveiling of master plans for King Salman International Airport and the new Abha International Airport; the initiation of the Integrated Logistics Zone in Riyadh (the Kingdom’s first special integrated logistics zone); the second phase of the expansion project at Medinah’s Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport; the opening of Terminal 1 at both Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport and Taif International Airport; and the expansion and development of terminals at Qassim International Airport, Al-Ahsa International Airport, NEOM Bay Airport, Red Sea International Airport, Arar International Airport, and Al Qaisumah International Airport."

Other recent developments include the launching of Riyadh Air and the signing of purchase agreements for 548 aircraft to date.