Joby Aviation has begun construction of the first vertiport in its planned Dubai air taxi network.

Situated at Dubai International airport (DXB), the vertiport is being constructed by Joby partners Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and Skyports, which celebrated the moment at a ceremony attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai; His Highness Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai; His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA; JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby; as well as representatives from the Dubai RTA and Skyports.

The DXB vertiport is one of four initial locations that will form Joby’s network of vertiports for the air taxi service the company plans to launch in the Emirate as soon as late 2025, with three additional vertiports planned for development in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina. This service was part of a definitive agreement signed by Joby, the RTA and Skyports in February 2024, which included exclusive access for Joby to the Dubai air taxi market for six years.

“Our air taxi service in Dubai will offer tourists and residents the opportunity to experience a revolutionary travel experience, with faster movement between key destinations and breathtaking views of the city skyline,” comments Bevirt. “With the start of construction on our air taxi network, our shared vision for electric air taxi service in Dubai is coming to life. I’m grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and to the government of Dubai for their support and commitment to innovation.”

The vertiport is designed to be integrated with Dubai’s multimodal transport network, providing connectivity with Dubai Metro’s Emirates Station 2, DXB airport, parking infrastructure and other ground transportation options. It will have two take off and landing stands, each equipped with the Joby-designed Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS) to support rapid vehicle charging and conditioning in between flights.

Joby has taken the first step toward becoming a certificated air taxi operator in the UAE. As part of the process to attain an AOC from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, the company will demonstrate the readiness of its aircraft as well as its training, maintenance, operations and safety programmes for commercial air transport.