Dubai is all set to introduce flying taxis in its skies by 2026. The emirate has signed an agreement with UK-based Skyports Infrastructure and US based Joby Aviation. This will make Dubai the first location in the globe with a citywide electric taxi service. The Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai has signed an agreement with Joby Aviation, giving the emirate the exclusive right to operate these flying taxis for the next six years.
The flying taxis will operate from four destinations – Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai International Airport. The journey from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeriah that typically takes 45 minutes by car, will take 10 minutes in a flying taxi. The craft has a maximum distance of 161 km, and intercity operations are a possibility.
The US-based firm has already established a local operating group in Dubai with a focus to push development of its operations. It intends to recruit locally for most of its operational team. Skyports in turn has been granted exclusive rights to construct, design, and operate a network of launch and landing areas or vertiports for the air taxis.
The UK-based firm has conducted and completed detailed studies, and also begun the first phase of the architectural design. The Joby Aviation S4 is battery-operated silent aircraft, that has a top speed of 321 kph and has a capacity of four passengers along with a pilot. The aircraft is being certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation oversight body. It is believed to have the most stringent safety standards globally.
The FAA has already approved Joby’s propulsion certification plan. This means all the mechanical, electrical and structural system certification plans are now accepted by the FAA.
