Joby Air Taxi to Transform Urban Mobility in Dubai

Ten years ago ride sharing giant Uber hugged Science fiction a future in which it is clean, quiet electric plane would shuttle passengers in crowded cities. Uber's well-funded Elevate initiative, which includes official document and three high-profile annual summits, effectively launched electric vertical takeoff and landing. (eVTOL) industrypromising investors, regulators and the general public that these futuristic aircraft Taxis were “closer than you think“

Then based in California Joby Aviation was still in stealth mode. But behind the scenes, this pioneering eVTOL developer, who has received a total of more than US$3 billion, including about $900 million from Toyota— played an important role in shaping Uber's vision. He later intervened to preserve this vision. acquisition of the Elevate program in 2020 after Uber General manager Dara Khosrowshahi decided to end it.

Now Joby, which was founded in 2009 and has become the dominant eVTOL startup, says it is finally close to making “urban air mobility” a reality. It plans to operate its first passenger flights in 2026 in Dubai. United Arab Emirates.

“Dubai continues to be our global launch pad for commercial services, and our progress here is a testament to the UAE's forward-thinking approach to advanced air mobility,” says Anthony Khourygeneral manager of Joby UAE, in an email interview. “Dubai is on track to become the first city in the world to offer a fully integrated premium experience. air taxi network, and we are committed to this goal.”

Joby signs six-year exclusive contract with Dubai

Company first announced its plans in the UAE at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February 2024, entering into an agreement with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) that gives it the exclusive right to operate air taxis there for six years from the start of commercial operations.

Joby's exclusive deal in Dubai will help strengthen its leadership in the global race to commercialize electric air taxis.

Joby also signed an agreement with the British company Skyports design, build and operate four “vertiport» sites in Dubai – places where eVTOL aircraft can load and unload passengers and charge them batteries. The first vertiport will be located near Dubai International Airport, with additional ones planned for the Dubai Mall, Atlantis the Royal Resort and the American University of Dubai.

Joby won't be the first eVTOL developer to carry passengers. This award is enjoyed by the Chinese company EHang, which already runs a limited number of excursions and demonstration flights with two-seat autonomous electric multicopters. (Joby's planes are piloted.) However, if Joby achieves its goal, it will be the first to regularly transport passengers point-to-point through urban traffic, in keeping with Uber Elevate's original vision. The exclusive deal in Dubai will help it extend its leadership in the global race to commercialize electric air taxis, which includes several other Western eVTOL developers as well as a growing number of Chinese players. Apart from the Dubai deal, Joby has also partnered with Delta to launch airport shuttle services in Dubai. United States.

The Joby S4 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has six electric motorseach of which weighs 28 kilograms and is capable of developing a peak power of 236 kilowatts.Joby Aviation

Operating a reliable air taxi service is a complex task that will require Joby aircraft, charging infrastructure and scheduling software to operate safely and reliably day in and day out. Because every new and complex technology has challenges to uptake, Joby predicts fairly limited initial operations in 2026.

“We will move from test flights to more complex test flights and ultimately to unpaid passenger flights from completed vertiports, ensuring a seamless passenger experience before full commercial launch,” says Khoury. He adds that Joby is currently working with Skyports to prepare the first vertiports, as well as government agencies in Dubai and the UAE to obtain the necessary permits for its operations.

“Dubai's approach is deeper and more comprehensive than what you see in many headlines,” said Clint Harper, an aviation infrastructure and policy adviser who recently participated in advanced air mobility workshop with Dubai RTA. “At our workshop,” he says, “RTA staff had fantastic questions and concerns about system-level safety, security and integration. Everyone recognized and appreciated the government's strong support and wanted to provide a proper system solution, not just a one-off demonstration. I was thoroughly impressed and inspired.”

Initial air operations will precede the receipt of an airworthiness certificate

Notably, all of this preparatory work is happening before Joby receives the initial type certificate for its aircraft from the US Federal Aviation Administration. In the US (and other countries), a type certificate is usually a requirement for commercial transactions with paying passengers. Joby claims to have made good progress in FAA certification, but how quickly (or slowly) the process moves is largely out of his control. In recent years, the FAA has taken longer to certify even conventional aircraft and helicopterswhich the industry blames on agency staffing shortages and more cautious decision-making after Boeing 737 Max crisis.

The perception that certification delays have more to do with bureaucracy than safety may be why Dubai is willing to approve some of Joby's early operations ahead of FAA type certification. Interestingly, the US is now following the example of the UAE. In September, the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transport started collecting proposals for eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which will select a minimum of five projects to demonstrate eVTOL operations in the national airspace, starting in the summer of 2026.

The FAA has stated that eIPP will not allow eVTOL developers to circumvent certification requirements or carry paying passengers. However, this will allow them to conduct additional test and demonstration flights as a stepping stone to commercial operations. Joby says this I plan to take part in eIPP, meaning its air taxis could also fly over US cities in 2026, even if the only person on board is a pilot.