According to Mashdigi, global travel platform Uber recently announced that Dubai will launch an air taxi service before the end of 2026. Local users can complete bookings directly through the Uber app, making air travel officially a new option for urban transportation in Dubai.
The Dubai air taxi service will use an electric aircraft developed by the American start-up company Joby Aviation. The aircraft can carry up to 4 passengers and will be controlled by professional commercial pilots to ensure travel safety. To support the implementation of this service, relevant parties will deploy four vertical takeoff and landing sites in Dubai, with locations accurately connecting local core transportation hubs and important landmarks, covering Dubai International Airport, well-known shopping malls, Palm Jumeirah Hotel and the American University in Dubai, achieving air traffic coverage in key areas.
As both partners, Uber and Joby Aviation have high hopes for the launch of this air taxi service. Uber Chief Product Officer Sachin Kansal said that the implementation of advanced air travel modes will profoundly change the existing pattern of urban transportation and provide new solutions for urban travel. Eric Allison, chief product officer of Joby, pointed out that the in-depth cooperation with Uber can better integrate air travel into the existing urban transportation system and help users achieve seamless switching between ground and air travel.
It is understood that in the future, the process for users to book this air taxi service will be very convenient and can be operated in the Uber app just like booking an ordinary online taxi. At the same time, the air trip will also be equipped with Uber Black high-end ground transfer service to create an integrated travel experience from the ground to the air. It is worth noting that the two parties currently have no plans to immediately promote the service to the United States. At this stage, Joby Aviation is close to completing the certification process of the US Federal Aviation Administration to prepare for subsequent global deployment. After obtaining relevant regulatory approvals, Joby Aviation plans to expand its air taxi business to American cities such as New York and Los Angeles, as well as overseas markets such as the United Kingdom and Japan.
The launch of Dubai’s air taxi service is also an important milestone in the cooperation between the two parties. As early as 2020, Uber acquired the Uber Elevate business of Joby Aviation and invested US$75 million in it. After nearly six years, the two parties finally launched the cooperation concept of air travel in Dubai. Judging from Uber's overall layout, due to the decline in travel demand in the early stages of the epidemic, the company successively sold many businesses such as autonomous driving. Last year, it reorganized the field of autonomous taxis through cooperation with Lucid, Nuro and other companies.