Dubai To Get Electric Air Taxis In First Quarter Of 2026, Says RTA Official

Dubai is set to revolutionise urban transportation by launching fully electric air taxis in the first quarter of 2026. Khaled Al Awadhi, Director of the Transportation Systems Department at Dubai RTA, said that the first point of the four vertiports of the Dubai flying taxi is expected to go into operation in the first quarter of 2026, reported Emirates News Agency.

The top RTA official revealed about the air taxis on the sidelines of the ongoing ITS World Congress in Dubai. Khaled Al Awadhi also added that the project, powered by Joby Aviation, is considered an ambitious step in the field of autonomous air transportation and aims to deliver a modern and efficient means of transportation. According to Al Awadhi, the initiative promises swift and safe mobility between major locations in Dubai.

Tyler Trerotola, General Manager for Joby Aviation in Dubai, shared his expectations for the 30th #ITSWorldCongress, hosted by #RTA at Dubai World Trade Centre, and discusses Joby's agreement with RTA to design #Dubai's Air Taxi, expected to launch as soon as Q1 2026.…

— RTA (@rta_dubai) September 17, 2024

Tyler Trerotola, General Manager for the Middle East, Joby Aviation, said that the electric air taxis will operate from four vertiports. This includes Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Downtown. As per the WAM report, Tyler Trerotola also said that the air taxis are designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at 320 km/h. This means passengers can get from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah in 10–12 minutes as compared with 45 minutes by car.