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The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has granted technical design approval for the country’s first commercial vertiport, paving the way for Skyports Infrastructure to develop its Dubai International Vertiport (DXV) near Dubai International Airport (DXB). Scheduled to host commercial air taxi operations starting in 2026, DXV is the first facility to receive approval under the UAE’s newly established vertiport regulations.
The approval represents a critical step in the GCAA’s regulatory framework, ensuring compliance with the CAR-HVD Part III requirements for vertiport safety and infrastructure. The design approval process assessed key factors, including facility layout, airspace considerations, obstacle management and a robust rescue and firefighting strategy.
The DXV facility is one of four sites being developed as part of an initial air taxi network by Skyports, in partnership with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Joby Aviation. The achievement highlights the UAE’s ongoing commitment to driving innovation in aviation while maintaining world-class safety standards.
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, says: “What we're undertaking in Dubai and driving in other regions completely reimagines the way people travel around cities and between regions. This is all made possible through the development of new regulatory frameworks and guidelines, which ensure a compliant, safe and scalable approach to aviation infrastructure. Today, with the GCAA, we've reached a key milestone for our flagship DXV facility, bringing us ever closer to launching commercial air taxi operations.”
H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA, adds: “The approval of the DXV Vertiport design advances the UAE's leadership in adopting innovative aviation solutions. Aligned with the ambitious visions of the country's wise leadership and supporting the Air Taxi Project set to launch in 2026, this project exemplifies our commitment to creating safe, secure and future-ready infrastructure. The GCAA is proud to play a central role in enabling transformative projects that will redefine urban mobility and set global benchmarks for integrating emerging aviation technologies.”