UAE starts mapping air corridors for air taxis and cargo drones

Aerial corridors and regulations will be defined within the next 20 months

The UAE is mapping out aerial routes that will connect key international airports and major landmarks in the country. Photo: GCAA

The UAE has started mapping air corridors for air taxis and cargo drones, as the country presses ahead with plans for smart mobility, sustainable transportation and easing traffic congestion on its roads.

The aerial corridors and regulations are set to be defined within the next 20 months, according to the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), in a statement from the World Governments Summit on Thursday.

“Air corridor mapping for piloted and autonomous air taxis and drones is a crucial milestone that will enable the seamless implementation of advanced air mobility into the UAE's infrastructure,” Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA, said.

In Dubai, Joby Aviation was chosen to supply and operate vertical take-off and landing taxis from Dubai International Airport to a handful of 'vertiports' including those on Palm Jumeirah.

In Abu Dhabi, Archer Aviation will operate electric aerial vehicles from the airport to the downtown area. Its founder Adam Goldstein told The National last month that it could be ready to fly this year. The UAE's state-run news agency WAM has reported that air taxis are expected to start flying in 2026.

Next level mapping

The aerial routes that the UAE is mapping will connect key international airports and iconic places in the UAE, the GCAA said.

The civil aviation regulator signed an agreement with the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) entities – Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and Aspuire – to share technical expertise in airspace management. The Abu Dhabi government's ATRC oversees technology research in the emirate, according to the council's website.

The partnership, which was announced during WGS, aims to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework to ensure safety and operational efficiency.

This means ensuring that piloted and autonomous air taxis and cargo drones are safely integrated into urban environments. The new air corridors will offer more options to transport passengers and cargo, relieving pressure on road networks and improving connectivity.

“Addressing real-time urban mobility challenges through innovative solutions like air taxis and drones is a major step forward,” Stephane Timpano, chief executive of Aspire, said. “This initiative directly supports sustainable economic growth by creating a flexible and diverse transport system that eases pressure on urban infrastructure and fosters smarter, more resilient cities.”

Aspire, the technology programme management arm of ATRC, was launched to drive the creation of future transformative technologies, according to its website.

“By advancing airspace management and integrating piloted and autonomous air taxis and cargo drones, we are not only enhancing urban connectivity but also driving sustainable and accessible mobility solutions that will benefit future generations,” Najwa Aaraj, chief executive of TII, said.

TII, the applied research arm of the ATRC, is developing advanced AI-powered control, vision and communication algorithms for autonomous systems that allow real-time decision-making for air taxis and drones.

“Having mastered this technology, we are able to propose methodologies for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) corridors design to optimise routes, ensure collision avoidance, and integrate seamlessly with urban airspace, marking a key step towards efficient and safe autonomous air mobility in complex urban environments,” Enrico Natalizio, chief researcher at the Autonomous Robotics Research Center at TII, said.

Air traffic regulations

Air taxis that are set to take off from a vertiport near Dubai International Airport will require tight regulations and air traffic control that separates these aircraft from passenger planes, Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, told The National in November.

Human expertise will take the lead but there is the potential for artificial intelligence to assist controllers, he said.

The GCAA will define the overall regulation, corridors and airspace for these operations, but over time the control of these air taxis will be automated within a network, similar to Uber's network, to enable point-to-point journeys, he added.

Earlier this week, LODD, an Abu Dhabi based company specialising in AI-powered drone technology and autonomous aerial logistics, and London-based Skyports Infrastructure, identified Al Bateen, Yas Island, and Khalifa Port as locations for developing vertiports in Abu Dhabi after 14 potential sites were assessed, resulting in a detailed feasibility study submitted to the Abu Dhabi government.

The companies revealed vertiport designs to be developed across these three locations. The vertiports will accelerate cargo and passenger movements and improve logistical efficiency in the capital, the companies said.