UAE: Dubai ruler says flying taxis to take-off by 2026

The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has announced the plans to relaunch the city’s flying taxis service, which is expected to take-off within three years.

Yesterday, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE shared a promotional video on Twitter stating: “From the World Government Summit, we approved today the design of the new air taxi stations in Dubai, which will start operating within 3 years.”

من القمة العالمية للحكومات .. اعتمدنا اليوم تصميم محطات التاكسي الجوي الجديدة في دبي .. والتي ستبدأ عملها خلال ٣ سنوات .. pic.twitter.com/tGQyPFVDUD

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) February 12, 2023

Plans for an aerial taxi service in the emirate have floated since 2017 and the year before, Sheikh Mohammed announced that he wanted 25 per cent of all passenger trips in the city to be done by driverless vehicles by 2030. In October last year, Chinese firm XPeng Aeroht showcased its two-seater electric VTOL flying car in a demonstration in Dubai.

The promotional video in the latest announcement also highlighted the six-rotor electric flying taxi made by US firm Joby Aviation. The “safe and efficient” aircraft will offer passengers a “smooth end-to-end passenger journey” with zero operating emissions, the video mentioned. Each aircraft will accommodate a pilot and four passengers, with a 241 kilometre range and a 300kph top speed.

“We’re excited about the opportunity and actively exploring the possibility,” said Oliver Walker-Jones, a spokesman for Joby Aviation.

Ahmed Bahrozyan, an official in the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), told Dubai Eye radio station today that “it’s early days” for the plan. “We haven’t yet signed with any partners yet,” he said.

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