Dubai is positioned to become the first city worldwide to introduce commercial air taxi services next year, though officials note that building public trust in this new technology will be a major challenge.
Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of the Public Transport Agency at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said the emirate has developed a clear roadmap to certify the aircraft and roll out the service safely. “Our aim is to launch a commercial service by 2026. We have a very clear plan for the qualification of the aircraft with Joby and our partners from the civil aviation authorities,” he said at the Dubai Airshow. “That includes testing that will take place both in Dubai and in the US.”
Bahrozyan added that flight trials will start in early 2025, with piloted, passenger-free operations using actual vertiports. He noted that “there may be a period when additional testing is carried out in the US before resuming in Dubai.”
