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NDTV
2 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Flying Taxis In Dubai By 2026: What You May Pay, Where They Will Land
Dubai is set to elevate its futuristic travel ambitions-literally. By 2026, the city could witness flying taxis navigating its skyline, offering a faster, cleaner, and more efficient alternative to road transport. Yes, flying taxis are real-and they are almost here. The initiative is being led by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in partnership with California-based Joby Aviation. As per Conde Nast Traveller, the first test flights are expected to begin next year, with full operations likely by early 2026. How Dubai's Flying Taxis Will Operate: Speed, Range And Vertiports The air taxis will operate from four key vertiports currently under construction - Dubai International Airport (DXB), Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah. According to The Economic Times, the first vertiport at DXB is scheduled for completion by early 2026. Each aircraft will accommodate four passengers and one pilot, with a top speed of 320 kmph (approximately 200 mph). That means the journey from DXB to Palm Jumeirah could take just 12 minutes, compared to a 45-minute drive in good traffic. As per Times of India, the aircraft will run on four battery packs and six propellers, covering up to 160 km on a single charge. Design Of Dubai's Air Taxis: Drone-Helicopter Hybrid With Glass Views The design resembles a hybrid between a drone and a helicopter-quieter, sleeker, and built for comfort. Times of India reports that the aircraft will feature six rotary systems and large glass panels offering panoramic views. The sound level? Just 45 decibels-about as quiet as light rain. Conde Nast Traveller adds that passengers will enjoy sweeping views through wide glass sides and a floor-to-ceiling windscreen while flying over the city's landmarks. Booking A Flying Taxi In Dubai May Be As Easy As Calling An Uber Booking an air taxi may be as easy as ordering a cab. Joby, being a global partner of Uber, may integrate the service within the Uber app, allowing users to schedule, board, and pay via their phones, reports Economic Times. Eventually, the network is expected to expand to include major hotels and tourist destinations. Flying Taxi Fare In Dubai: Expected Cost And Who It Is For While official pricing is yet to be announced, Joby is reportedly aiming for fares around $75 per trip-comparable to a premium Uber Black ride between Palm Jumeirah and DXB. Prices may become more accessible over time as the service scales up. Initially, the service is likely to target premium users. However, Times of India notes that the long-term plan is to make flying taxis accessible to the general public, integrating air mobility into everyday life. Are Dubai's Flying Taxis Safe? What We Know So Far Concerned about safety? All flights will be operated by certified commercial pilots. So far, Joby has conducted hundreds of test flights, clocking over 60,000 km safely. While there is talk of autonomous, AI-powered flights in the future, pilots will remain in control for now. Other Gulf Cities Betting On Flying Taxis: Abu Dhabi And NEOM Join Race Dubai is not alone in this air mobility push. As Conde Nast Traveller reports, Abu Dhabi is collaborating with Archer Aviation to launch its Midnight air taxis. Saudi Arabia's NEOM city has also completed test flights. Across the Gulf, advanced air mobility appears to be taking off-quite literally.
India.com
3 days ago
- Business
- India.com
45-minute journey in less than 15 minutes? Flying taxi to launch in THIS city soon, top speed of..., it will carry...
New Delhi: Countries across the globe are working relentlessly to launch air taxis (flying taxis). In a major development, Dubai is preparing to launch its first flying taxi service by 2026. The new mode of transport will provide fast and electric-powered air travel within the city. It has been developed by California-based company Joby Aviation. The goal is to significantly reduce travel time within the city. The air taxi network will operate from four main vertiports, according to the Reuters report. It is important to note these vertiports are currently under construction. The locations are: Dubai International Airport, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah. The first vertiport at Dubai International Airport is expected to be ready by early 2026. The main aim of this is to enable quick travel across the city's congested areas. Initially, the journey from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah takes about 45 minutes by car, but with the air taxi, it will take just 12 minutes. Here are some of the key details: Travellers will be able to book the air taxi through a mobile app. It will function much like Uber. Joby is Uber's global partner Users will be able to book the taxi, board it, and make payments—all through a single app. This service will expand to hotels and key locations as well. This will make it easier to travel directly from the airport to one's destination. Its top speed will be 320 kilometers per hour. How much will be the fare? According to Conde Nast Traveller, Joby estimates that a single trip will cost around $75 (approximately Rs 6,464). However, it is important to note that the exact fare hasn't been confirmed yet. Reports also suggest that the fare will be similar to an expensive Uber Black ride. The taxi will feature glass walls and a windshield extending to the roof, offering a spectacular view of Dubai city during the flight. How many passengers can it carry? All air taxis will be operated by licensed pilots. The company assures that all necessary safety measures will be in place before the service is launched for the public. Each air taxi will be able to accommodate one pilot and four passengers.
India.com
3 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Flying taxis to start in this city, will cover 45 minute journey in just..., city is...
(Representational image: Joby Aviation/X) New Delhi: Efforts are going on to start air taxis in many cities around the world and Dubai is preparing to start its first flying taxi service by the year 2026. It will provide very fast and electric air travel in the city. This service has been created by California company Joby Aviation. Its goal is to reduce travel time in the city. Where are flying taxi ports being built? According to a Reuters report, the air taxi network will run from four main vertiports which are being built right now. These four places are: Dubai International Airport, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah. The first vertiport at Dubai International Airport will be ready by the beginning of 2026. This system is designed to quickly travel from one place to another in the crowded areas of the city. Currently, it takes 45 minutes to travel by car from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah. But with this taxi, one can reach in just 12 minutes. How to book air taxi? People will be able to book air taxis from a mobile app. It will be just like Uber. Joby is Uber's global partner, so it is possible that people can book a taxi, board it and pay money from the same app. Gradually, this service will also reach hotels and other selected places. This will make it easier to go directly from the airport to your destination. How much the fare will be? The exact information about the fare has not been received yet. But according to Conde Nast Traveller, Joby estimates that the fare for one trip will be around $ 75 (about Rs 6464). This will be like the expensive ride of Uber Black. The taxi will have glass walls and a windshield up to the ceiling. This will give you a great view of Dubai city during the flight. How many passengers can fly at one time? Jobi says that hundreds of test flights of the air taxi have been done for a distance of more than 60,000 kilometers. All the planes will be flown by licensed pilots. The company says that all necessary safety arrangements will be made before starting it for the people. One pilot and four passengers will be able to sit in each air taxi. Its top speed will be 320 kilometers per hour.
The Verge
7 days ago
- Automotive
- The Verge
Uber to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Lucid and Nuro in massive robotaxi deal
Uber plans to make 'multi-hundred-million dollar investments' in both Nuro and Lucid as part of a massive new robotaxi deal that was just announced. The three companies are linking up to deploy '20,000 or more' robotaxis in the US over the next six years. The vehicles will be Lucid's new Gravity SUV, equipped with autonomous technology developed by Nuro, and available exclusively on Uber's app. The fleet will be owned by Uber or a third-party fleet management partner and the first vehicles will launch in as-yet-to-be-determined US city in 2026. 'This is a very, very big deal,' Dave Ferguson, co-founder and president of Nuro, said in an interview. 'In terms of the scale and the hard commitments and the meat behind it, it is by far the biggest partnership deal that Uber has announced or done.' 'This is a very, very big deal.' Uber is investing $300 million in Lucid, a spokesperson for the automaker, Nick Twork, confirmed. The investment in Nuro will be 'significantly more than that,' Ferguson said, though he declined to share an exact figure. As part of the deal, Uber will take a seat on Nuro's board of directors. Uber's decision to pour hundreds of millions of dollars in both companies underscores its desire to become a clearinghouse for both electric and autonomous vehicles of all stripes. The ridehail company has said it wants to use its size and scale to aid in the proliferation of autonomous vehicles across the world. It has struck over a dozen deals over the past year with a variety of robotaxi and delivery robot companies, including Waymo. In choosing the sumptuously designed Gravity as its robotaxi platform, Uber will likely price this particular service in the upper tier like Uber Black. Lucid makes two luxury EVs, the Lucid Air sedan which starts at $69,900, and the Gravity SUV which starts at $79,900. In the current shaky EV market, Lucid is a niche player, delivering just 3,309 vehicles in the second quarter of 2025. The company is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, and it operates an assembly plant in the oil-rich nation. This is Nuro's first major licensing deal after pivoting away from designing and building its own self-driving delivery vehicles. The California-based company said last year that licensing its autonomous tech would be its main focus moving forward. Nuro's current fleet of vehicles, which operates in California and Texas, has traveled over 1 million miles autonomously without any major safety incidents. Uber's investment comes at a crucial time for Nuro and Lucid, both of which have struggled with layoffs and other financial difficulties in recent years. Donald Trump's tariffs, as well as his administration's move to eliminate Biden-era EV incentives, have put enormous pressure on the auto industry. And self-driving cars have taken longer and proven more costly to develop than initially promised. But even as most AV investments have dried up, Nuro continues to find financial support. The company is currently valued at $6 billion after raising $106 million in its latest funding round last April. Lucid, which is publicly traded, has a market cap of approximately $7 billion. Uber's investment comes at a crucial time for Nuro and Lucid. Nuro will design the Level 4 autonomous technology to power the robotaxis. Lucid's workers will install the various sensors and hardware on the Gravity assembly line, after which it'll be updated with Nuro's software and commissioned by Uber. Nuro will also develop a safety case 'across dozens of categories' using simulation, closed-course testing, and supervised on-road testing. A prototype autonomous Gravity is currently being tested at Nuro's Las Vegas proving grounds, which Ferguson said took seven weeks to develop. 'That is a real testament to the quality of the engineering on the Lucid side,' he said. 'They designed these platforms to be L3 capable because they were intending on having that as a future product for their customers. And so, they were really nice to integrate all of our sensing compute onto and to turn into self-driving vehicles.' (L3, or Level 3 automation means the vehicle can drive itself in most situations, but still requires human supervision. Level 4 vehicles can driver fully autonomously in certain environments without human supervision. Lucid just introduced a hands-free driving system for highways.) In many ways, the size of this deal — 'a minimum' of 20,000 vehicles, but expected to be 'much, much more,' Ferguson said — recalls some of the early promises from autonomous vehicle developers about tens of thousands of vehicles on the road in just a few short years. Those early assumptions turned out to be way off, and most companies are still struggling to deliver even just a few self-driving cars. Today, Waymo is operating less than 2,000 vehicles in a handful of markets as part of a commercial robotaxi service. Tesla has a few dozen robotaxis in a small part of Austin, Texas. The rest are still in beta and still not open to the public — including the self-driving trucks, which have had their own problems. Ferguson said that's all about to change. Nuro has been operating driverless vehicles for several years now, albeit at low speeds and while avoiding highways. But he says the time is right to move on to the next level, and with Uber and Lucid in its corner, he's confident they'll reach these milestones. 'It's really just a function of, at what level is the autonomy at and how many markets can it sustain,' Ferguson said. 'Within those markets, these are big, big numbers and opportunities. And the vehicles will follow.
Business Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Flying taxi CEO is a billionaire again after stock rallies to all-time high
[NEW YORK] Four years after a much-hyped Spac (special purpose acquisition company) deal followed by a swift collapse, shares of US flying taxi company Joby Aviation have rallied to an all-time high, lifting the value of its founder's stake to more than US$1 billion. Chief executive officer JoeBen Bevirt, 51, owns a 12 per cent stake in the California-based air-mobility company worth US$1.3 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The value of his holding has more than doubled since Apr 8, when the stock hit its low for the year. The shares were up 10 per cent to US$13.92 at 2.24 pm in New York trading. A spokesperson for Santa Cruz, California-based Joby Aviation declined to comment on Bevirt's net worth or the company's performance. Interest in Joby Aviation's eVTOL aircraft, shorthand for electric vertical takeoff and landing, has surged since the company completed a piloted test flight last month in Dubai. That followed US President Donald Trump signing an executive order establishing a federal pilot programme for the technology amid increased attention for the industry from the defence sector. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'The administration has made air taxis a very high priority,' Bevirt said in a Mar 17 interview with Bloomberg Television. 'We are just thrilled to be seeing such incredible momentum on the DoD side for this industry.' Bevirt's wealth briefly climbed above US$1 billion immediately after Joby Aviation's public debut via a Spac in August 2021, as investors bid up the share price. By the end of that year, the company's stock had tumbled more than 45 per cent from its opening day high. At the time it went public, Joby Aviation did not have a completed product, instead hoping investors would buy into its promise of operating a commercial fleet of flying taxis by 2024. That fleet is still in the future, as is its first paying customer, but a flurry of good news has spurred the recent rally. Fellow electric-aircraft maker Archer Aviation in June predicted that defence contracts could become the biggest part of its business. And Joby Aviation announced on Tuesday that it planned to double production capacity at its main plant. The company says that its electric aircraft, which take off and land vertically and do not require a runway, are 100 times quieter than a helicopter and can travel at speeds of up to 322 kilometres per hour. Joby Aviation plans to launch flights from lower Manhattan to John F Kennedy International Airport, which will take just seven minutes and be cost-competitive with an Uber Black, Bevirt said in a May 2024 interview with Bloomberg. Joby Aviation is the fourth company Bevirt founded after earning mechanical engineering degrees from the University of California, Davis and Stanford. His previous ventures included Velocity11, a maker of robotic laboratory systems, and Joby, which manufactures the GorillaPod camera tripod. BLOOMBERG
