Dubai Trials Flying Taxi Service

Flying taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation has delivered its first aircraft to the UAE and completed pilot tests. The service is expected to launch in the region by 2026. 

The future of cleaner, quieter urban travel just landed in Dubai. Today marks a significant milestone on our path to commercialization: we successfully completed a series of piloted, full-transition, electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing flights in Dubai.https://t.co/hhcCX7w8da pic.twitter.com/efq6bz1jfK

— Joby Aviation (@jobyaviation) June 30, 2025

The company develops electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. 

“Our flights and operational presence in Dubai are a monumental step towards integrating air taxi services into everyday life worldwide,” said founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt in a statement. 

He described the UAE as a “launchpad for a global mobility revolution.”

Joby Aviation announced plans to launch the service in the UAE in February 2024 as part of an agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority. The company was granted exclusive rights to provide air taxi services in the emirate for six years. 

In November, the firm began constructing a vertiport—an eVTOL takeoff and landing site—at Dubai International Airport. Plans include expansion to three new locations: Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown, and Marina. 

In 2024, Joby Aviation signed an agreement to launch air taxis with three government departments in Abu Dhabi.

The company’s shares have risen by more than 32% since the beginning of the year, boosting its market capitalization above $9 billion. Following the announcement, the stock gained 12%.

In June, Tesla launched a driverless taxi service. Test rides are taking place in Austin, USA. 

The company faced an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration following alleged violations by autonomous vehicles.