UAE's air taxis: How soon will it take for 10- or 20-minute trips to become popular?
Last updated:
Manoj Nair (Business Editor) and
Dhanusha Gokulan, Chief Reporter
Dubai: Complete a trip from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in less than 30 minutes? Or a 10-minute trip to a hotel on the Palm Jumeirah from Dubai International Airport.
That's just the option moving ever closer on the horizon for all those in the UAE who are currently making do with 90-minute or more road trips between emirates. Or take anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on the traffic within an emirate.
Whether it's Archer Aviation in Abu Dhabi or Joby Aviation in Dubai, the launch schedules for air taxi services on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the UAE is set for late 2025 or early 2026.
The 'verti-ports' that will be the base for the electric air taxis are also getting built in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, all done with an eye on meeting the launch schedules.
And thus opening up possibilities for a whole new mode of all-electric transportation.
'The timeline (of late 2025 or early 2026 launch) is ambitious, but realistic - especially here in the UAE, where decision-making is fast and aligned across agencies,' said Stephane Timpano, CEO of Aspire and A2RL. (A2RL is part of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council.)
'Launching in 2026 doesn't mean the skies will be full of air taxis overnight. It means we'll see the first commercial services introduced, likely in limited corridors and with close regulatory oversight.
'It's the beginning of a gradual rollout, which is exactly how it should be. Early use cases will build public trust, which is essential for broader adoption.'
That's exactly the point.
Scaling up
The build-up and rollout of air taxi services based on eVTOL aircraft will be incremental, with the regulator and operators keeping a keen eye on balancing demand with actual supply-side needs.
Because these services will come up with a premium rate, at least in the initial phase of use.
'Initial pricing (of inter-emirate air taxi services) will likely reflect the cost of new technology and limited scale,' said Timpano.
'In pilot markets like Los Angeles, early air taxi services are likely to be positioned as premium offerings. But as more operators enter the market and infrastructure matures, costs will come down, just as they did with ride-hailing.
'Over time, we can expect tiered pricing models, with shorter or shared trips becoming more accessible. The key is to start with safety and reliability, and let scale bring affordability.'
How many can these eVTOL aircraft carry?
Archer Aviation will be providing its 'Midnight' aircraft for the Abu Dhabi operations. The Midnight is a four-passenger aircraft designed for 'back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights'.
The Joby aircraft – which was shown last year at the World Governments Summit for the first time - too is built on a pilot and four-passenger seating format. Joby Aviation will also build-and-operate the four initial vertiport sites in Dubai for the air taxis – at Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and the Downtown.
'One of the key advantages of electric vertical aircraft is that they avoid the heavy infrastructure burden of traditional transit systems,' said Antonio Semeraro, Principal - Travel, Transportation and Hospitality practice at the consultancy Arthur D. Little, Middle East.
'Constructing a metro line can take a decade and cost billions.
'In contrast, eVTOLs can operate from compact vertiports integrated into rooftops, parking structures, or transport hubs, allowing cities to deploy aerial mobility solutions much faster and at a lower cost per site.
'While eVTOLs will not match the capacity of mass transit modes like buses or metros, they serve a different purpose - high-speed, point-to-point travel for priority corridors, business users, and tourism.'
Abu Dhabi's getting the 'Midnight'
It was late March that Abu Dhabi Aviation Group signed up with Archer to bring the first fleet of its Midnight electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, starting this year. Apart from the aircraft, Archer will bring 'experienced pilots, technicians, and engineers' for the full-scale rollout of the services.
'As a leading force in the aviation industry across the region and the largest helicopter operator in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Aviation has the expertise to develop a scalable urban air mobility service,' said Nader Al Hammadi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Aviation, in a statement.
'We are excited to lead the way in launching the region's electric air taxi service, starting right here in Abu Dhabi.'
For now, the three vertiports in Abu Dhabi will be built at Bateen, Yas Island and Khalifa Port.
What about pricing?
No formal announcements on what the rates would be for passengers have been made to date. Speculation is that it would be in the region of Dh300 or just over.
But one thing is for sure – air taxis will be a premium service.
As for pricing, it is realistic to expect that services will initially be offered as a premium form of public transport,' said Semeraro.
'This reflects the early-stage economics of the industry, including limited fleet availability and initial piloted operations.
'However, this does not mean the service will be inaccessible.
'A strong initial use case - particularly in the UAE - is tourism, where air taxis can provide a unique alternative to traditional helicopter tours.
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