Dubai clears certified vertiport for air taxis

Dubai’s plan to launch commercial air taxis has moved closer to operation after the UAE aviation regulator certified a purpose-built vertiport for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft near Dubai International Airport.

The facility, registered as VDX under the General Civil Aviation Authority’s certification process, is being positioned as the primary hub for the emirate’s first air taxi network. Skyports Infrastructure, which developed the site with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, said the approval makes it the first purpose-built commercial vertiport certified for eVTOL operations.

The certification is a key regulatory step for a project that has moved from design approval to technical completion and now towards operational readiness. The vertiport is expected to support initial commercial services planned for 2026, subject to aircraft certification, route approvals, safety checks and final operating clearances.

VDX is located near Dubai International Airport and has been designed as a four-floor mobility hub covering about 3,100 square metres. It includes two dedicated take-off and landing areas, passenger handling facilities, aircraft charging infrastructure, operational control areas and links to existing ground transport, including access to Emirates Metro Station and nearby parking.

The site is designed to handle up to 170,000 passengers a year and about 42,000 aircraft movements once the network reaches higher utilisation. It can also support conventional helicopter traffic under a hybrid regulatory framework developed with the aviation regulator, giving operators flexibility while eVTOL traffic scales up.

Three additional vertiports are under development as part of the initial network. The planned sites include Dubai Mall, Atlantis The Royal on Palm Jumeirah and the American University in Dubai area, serving Dubai Marina, Dubai Internet City and nearby business and residential districts. Earlier plans had also identified Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah as prime corridors for the first phase.

Joby Aviation is the aircraft and service partner for Dubai’s planned air taxi operation. Its eVTOL aircraft is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot, with a maximum range of about 161 kilometres and a top speed of around 321 kilometres per hour. The aircraft uses six propellers and multiple battery packs and is intended to operate with a lower noise profile than conventional helicopters.

The Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah journey is expected to take about 10 to 12 minutes by air taxi, compared with roughly 45 minutes by road in normal traffic conditions. That time saving is central to the commercial case for early adoption, particularly among business travellers, premium visitors and residents using high-demand routes.

The project is being developed through a partnership involving RTA, GCAA, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Air Navigation Services, Joby Aviation and Skyports. RTA oversees integration with the city’s mobility network, while Skyports is responsible for vertiport design, construction and operation. Joby has a six-year exclusive agreement to operate air taxi services in the emirate’s initial rollout.

Regulatory progress is important because advanced air mobility depends on more than aircraft performance. Airspace management, emergency procedures, pilot training, charging systems, passenger processing, cyber security, maintenance standards and integration with airports all need clear operating rules before commercial service begins.

Dubai has sought to make the air taxi programme part of a wider smart mobility agenda, linking future aviation with public transport, digital booking and high-capacity tourist and business districts. Passengers are expected to book seats through digital platforms, with automated check-in and short turnaround times built into the station design.

The latest certification also gives Dubai a first-mover advantage in a sector where several global cities are competing to launch commercial eVTOL services. Airports, property developers, aircraft manufacturers and mobility platforms have been testing models in the United States, Europe, Japan and the Gulf, but large-scale service has been slowed by certification demands and infrastructure gaps.

Market interest remains strong, though the industry faces pressure to prove that air taxis can move beyond demonstration flights and premium fares. Operators must show that routes can be reliable in hot weather, that batteries can support frequent daily cycles, and that vertiport locations can generate enough demand without adding congestion at ground access points.