Fully Electrical Air Taxis Being Launched in Dubai beginning of 2026

Dubai is set to launch fully electric air taxis within the first quarter of 2026, as announced by Khaled Al Awadhi, Director of the Transportation Systems Department at the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). This announcement was made during the World Congress and Exhibition on Intelligent Transport Systems at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

In collaboration with Skyports Infrastructure and Joby Aviation, the RTA will deploy air taxis that will connect four key vertiports: Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Marina, and downtown. Each air taxi, designed for a pilot and up to four passengers, will travel at speeds of up to 320 km/h, cutting travel time from the airport to Palm Jumeirah to approximately 10 minutes, compared to the current 45-minute car journey.

Passengers will be able to book their air taxis through a dedicated mobile app similar to Uber, with prices aimed to be comparable to Uber Black rates. Additionally, the 100% electric flying taxis will feature six rotors for added safety and will be much quieter than traditional helicopters. Currently, they’re undergoing final testing in the Californian desert.

Upon launch, only a few taxis will operate, but Joby Aviations is planning on expanding the fleet to 100, as well as establishing an air link between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.