Dubai is moving closer to launching commercial air taxi services in 2026, with Uber and Joby Aviation outlining how booking will work through the Uber app.
Dubai’s long-discussed air taxi project is entering a visible new phase. This week, Uber and Joby Aviation introduced details of how residents will eventually book electric air taxi rides through the Uber app. The feature, called Uber Air powered by Joby, is expected to go live once commercial operations begin later in 2026.
Instead of downloading a separate platform, users will enter their destination in Uber as usual. If the route qualifies, a Dubai air taxi option will appear alongside regular ride categories. The system is designed to integrate ground transport to and from vertiports within the same booking flow, making the journey multimodal but seamless.
The Aircraft and What Sets It Apart
Joby’s aircraft is an all-electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, known as an eVTOL. It carries four passengers and one pilot and uses six tilting propellers to lift off vertically before transitioning to forward flight.
According to company specifications, it can travel at up to 200 mph (roughly 320 km/h) and has a range of about 100 miles per charge.
The aircraft is designed to operate with significantly lower noise levels than helicopters and produces zero operational emissions during flight, aligning with Dubai’s broader sustainability goals.
Infrastructure and Regulatory Steps
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has been working with partners to establish dedicated vertiports across the city. Planned locations include hubs near Dubai International Airport and other major districts to ensure connectivity with existing transport networks.
Test operations and regulatory coordination have been ongoing, with commercial passenger services targeted for launch later this year, subject to final certification approvals.
What It Means for Dubai
If timelines hold, Dubai will be among the first cities globally to integrate air taxis into daily transport. The promise is shorter travel times between key districts and an added premium mobility option for residents and visitors.
While pricing and exact launch dates are yet to be announced, the integration into a widely used platform signals that the concept is moving from ambition to implementation.
For a city known for adopting next-generation infrastructure early, 2026 could mark the moment when flying across town becomes part of everyday life.
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