US electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation has taken the first step towards becoming a certified air taxi operator in the United Arab Emirates.

During the International Civil Aviation Organisation's inaugural Advanced Air Mobility Summit, taking place in Montreal, Canada, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, met with His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and presented Joby's letter of intent to initiate Joby's Air Operator Certificate application.

In February 2024, Joby signed a definitive agreement with Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch air taxi services in the Emirate of Dubai, positioning the city as a world leader in the next generation of fast, clean and quiet air mobility.

In April 2024, Joby expanded its partnership with the UAE through a multilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Municipalities and Transport – Abu Dhabi (DMT), the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED) and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), paving the way for Joby to establish and scale air taxi services in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Bevirt comments: “There is incredible momentum behind the adoption of clean flight across the UAE, and we're excited to be working with a wide range of partners, including the GCAA, to lay the groundwork for one of the world's first electric air taxi networks, delivering fast, clean and quiet journeys using our revolutionary aircraft.”

H.E Saif Al Suwaidi adds: “The letter of intent for the operator certificate application from Joby Aviation marks a significant milestone in the UAE's journey towards becoming a global leader in eVTOL operations. Our readiness to support these advanced technologies underscores our commitment to fostering advanced air mobility solutions that will be part of the future of transportation in the UAE and beyond. We are excited to work closely with Joby Aviation to ensure the highest standards of safety and efficiency as we advance towards the realisation of commercial eVTOL operations in our skies.”

Issued by the GCAA, the Air Operator Certificate is required to operate commercial air transport in the UAE. Joby will follow a five-stage application process that will see the company develop a full complement of air taxi operating manuals, undergo inspections of its UAE-based facilities and complete GCAA observation of pilot and aircraft mechanic training as well as flight operations.

Joby completed a similar process to receive its US Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA in May 2022 and has operated traditional aircraft in the US for more than two years, refining aspects of the company's intended air taxi operations while using its proprietary ElevateOS software system.

Joby's electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, with a journey from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah, which typically takes 45 minutes by car, expected to take just 10 minutes.