Dubai flying taxis: The route, cost, travel time and when we'll get them explained
The traffic-busting Dubai flying taxis are expected to arrive in the city next year with flights taking off from four key points of the city initially.
A collaboration between the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, JOBY Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure, the air taxi is set to transform public transport as we know it.
On Monday June 30, it was revealed that Dubai completed its first test flight of the aerial taxis in the emirate.
But how much will it cost to use? Where will it fly to? And will you still get to scroll through TikTok in the back seat? All this and more will be answered below.
So, where will the Dubai flying taxi fly to?
It has been confirmed that the first four vertiports (which allow taxis to take off and land vertically) will be placed at Dubai International Airport, Dubai Downtown, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah.
The first of these four will start operating in early 2026, the RTA confirmed in September 2024.
The inaugural commercial aerial taxi flight is scheduled to take off from the Dubai International Airport's vertiport.
Dubai flying taxis: The first four Skyport sites have been revealed and this is how your ticket will look. Credit: Joby/Canva
These four points have been chosen firstly as a way to connect the airport to key hotels in the city, according to Al Awadhi of the RTA.
But plans outlined by the manufacturers JOBY Aviation, are for the air taxi to eventually be as common as taking a bus in the city.
In October 2024, Dubai public parking group Parkin confirmed that they will develop parking facilities to be used at the vertiports so you'll be able to park and ride when the flying taxis finally arrive.
Plans have also been outlined for air taxis to eventually travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Right, but when will we be able to fly in a Dubai flying taxi?
The flying taxi from JOBY Aviation is coming soon to Dubai. (Credit: JOBY Aviation)
Tests and trials have been carried out for two years in hot-weather conditions at Edwards Air Force Base in the United States, in addition to rigorous testing of the aircraft's operational readiness.
Joby carried out more than 40,000 miles of test flights of its fleet prior to the first flying taxi test in Dubai.
Ok, but won't the Dubai flying taxi be really expensive?
Not necessarily, the aim is for tickets to cost no more than a ride in an Uber Black but will take roughly a third of the time that a car would to get across the city.
Dubai flying taxis: You may soon be able to hail a flight with Uber (Credit: Uber)
And, since Uber is a global partner of Joby Aviation, you can expect to book a ride using the ride-hailing app.
How long will a flight take in a Dubai flying taxi?
A journey between DXB and Palm Jumeirah will take around 10 minutes as opposed to the 45 minutes it currently takes.
Dubai flying taxis. (Credit: Joby Aviation)
It will be able to carry a pilot plus four passengers and fly at speeds of up to 320km/h.
At the vertiport, getting in and out of the air taxi will take only a matter of minutes and isn't expected to have the same stringent security checks that a flight out of DXB would take.
Are Dubai flying taxis safe?
It is, and tests will continue to be held to absolutely guarantee that it will be as safe as possible when it eventually launches.
With six rotors on each aircraft, there's an additional bit of security when flying as opposed to the one rotor in a helicopter.
On Tuesday September 10, Joby announced it had taken the first steps to becoming a certified taxi operator in the UAE.
In order to get the official sign off, there will be a five stage application process requiring air taxi operating manuals, inspections of the UAE facilities, pilot and mechanic training and flight operations.
Ok, ok. Anything else I should know about the Dubai flying taxi?
Yes, they will be electric vehicles so won't cause pollution during the flight. This also means they will be much, much quieter than any helicopter flight so you won't need to put up with a lot of extra city noise.
Flights will be between 1,000 and 3,000 feet in the air and, we're told, you should still have a mobile phone signal so if you just can't stop scrolling through TikTok or need to send that text then you'll still be able to.
On launch, there will likely just be a few vehicles but JOBY Aviation say they plan to eventually have a fleet of around 100 taking to the sky.
And for those worried about traffic jams moving from the roads to the skies, the manufacturers say it's unlikely that you would see more than one in the air when you look up.
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