Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved Tuesday the construction of the emirate’s first aerial taxi vertiport near the Dubai International Airport.
Aerial taxi vertiport
The aerial taxi vertiport will span an area of 3,100 square meters (sqm) and consist of designated take-off and landing zones, a dedicated aerial taxi apron, and a parking area, according to a statement by the Dubai Media Office.
With a capacity of handling 42,000 landings per year, the vertiport is expected to serve about 170,000 riders annually. The aerial taxi service is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2026.
In collaboration with leading international operators, the US-based Joby Aviation will be responsible for managing aircraft manufacturing, operations, and passenger movement, while the London-headquartered Skyports will oversee the design, construction, and operation of the vertiport’s infrastructure.
Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) will govern the vertiport and integrate it with other transport modes. It will feature the Joby S4 aerial taxi, a sustainable, eco-friendly electric vehicle with zero emissions capable of vertical take-off and landing.
The S4 is equipped with six rotors and four battery packs and boasts a flight range of as much as 161 kilometers (km) at a maximum speed of 321 km per hour. It can carry four passengers at a time aside from the pilot and generates significantly lower noise in comparison to traditional helicopters.
New transport option
Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and the chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, said that in the initial phase of the project, the aerial taxi services will operate from four ‘strategic’ locations close to Dubai International Airport, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah.
The service will offer Dubai’s residents and visitors a new, rapid, and secure transport option to key locations in the city. It will reduce the transportation time by several times as a journey from the Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah, which takes 45 minutes by car, will be reduced to around 12 minutes.
“The service also supports integration with public transport modes and individual transport solutions like e-scooters and bicycles, promoting multimodal transport and city-wide connectivity to deliver a smooth travel experience,” Al Tayer added.
Key background
In February, RTA signed an agreement with the General Civil Aviation Authority, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Skyports Infrastructure, and Joby Aviation to launch a new service, marking the first-ever binding partnership between a governmental body, an aircraft manufacturer and operator, and a vertiport owner and operator. Al Tayer termed the initiative a part of RTA’s efforts to embrace future transportation technologies. More
