Dubai air taxis will take off during first quarter of 2026, says RTA

The vehicles are designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at 320 kph and will operate from four locations in the emirate

Dubai is set to introduce fully electric air taxis in the first quarter of 2026. Photo: WAM

Electric air taxis will begin operating in Dubai during the first quarter of 2026, the city's transport authority has confirmed.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said the air taxis will operate from four vertiports in the emirate – located at Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Downtown. The vehicles are designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at 320 kph.

This means passengers can get from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah in 10-12 minutes compared to 45 minutes by car, state news agency Wam reported.

“Powered by Joby Aviation, the first point of the four vertiports of the Dubai flying taxi is expected to go into operation in the first quarter of 2026,” said Khaled Al Awadhi, director of the transportation systems department at Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

He made his comments speaking on the sidelines of the World Congress and Exhibition on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS World Congress) in Dubai.

“The project is an ambitious step in the field of autonomous air transportation, and aims to provide a modern and efficient means of transportation, as the air taxi is expected to serve different areas of the city, with a focus on linking the service to hotels and the airport.”

The electric air taxis will be considerably less noisy than normal helicopters with a sound of no more than 45 decibels, which is said to be less than the sound of rain.

Easing traffic congestion

The new service will help to reduce the level of traffic across Dubai, said Tyler Trerotola, general manager of the Middle East at Joby Aviation.

“The new service will contribute to easing traffic congestion in Dubai, as it is expected to reduce the travel time from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah to only 10-12 minutes, compared to the current time of more than 45 minutes during peak times,” he said.

The new heliports will be designed and developed in collaboration with air mobility infrastructure firm Skyports and will include dedicated take-off and landing areas, electric charging facilities, a dedicated passenger area.

Earlier this year, The National reported how the RTA had signed an agreement that provides Joby Aviation with the exclusive right to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years.