Dubai air taxi launch tracker
Photo: Unsplash · category illustration
Not launched · Target: before end of 2026 · Updated 22 Aug 2026
Explainer · Dubai · UAE

Dubai air taxi launch tracker

Is Dubai’s air taxi flying yet? No — not commercially, as of 22 August 2026. What exists: a GCAA-certified vertiport at Dubai International (7 July 2026, the world’s first), a completed piloted flight-test campaign including a 17-minute point-to-point flight, a booking channel announced through the Uber app, and Joby’s stated target of carrying first passengers before the end of 2026. This page is the dated record of every step, updated on every milestone.

Commercial serviceNOT LAUNCHED (as of 22 Aug 2026)
Stated targetFirst passengers before end of 2026 (Joby, Feb 2026)
VertiportVDX at DXB — GCAA-certified 7 Jul 2026
Flight testingPiloted campaign complete incl. 17-min point-to-point
BookingUber app at launch — announced 25 Feb 2026
FaresNot announced
Still pendingJoby operational certification with the GCAA; first passenger flight

About

This tracker answers one question — has Dubai’s air taxi launched, and if not, what remains? — with only dated, sourced milestones. It is updated on every event; the update date is in the badge above. For fares see the price explainer; for the booking flow see the booking explainer.

Timeline — the road to launch

  1. 2024-02-11
    Joby Aviation and RTA Dubai sign a definitive agreement at the World Governments Summit: exclusive 6-year air-taxi rights in Dubai from commercial launch. [joby-ir-2024-02-11]
  2. 2024-11-12
    Skyports and the RTA break ground on the first vertiport, VDX, beside Dubai International Airport. [skyports-2024-11-12]
  3. 2025-06-30
    Joby announces piloted flights in Dubai and the start of ‘commercial market readiness’ work. [joby-ir-2025-06-30]
  4. 2025-11-09
    First piloted point-to-point eVTOL flight in the UAE: Margham test facility to Al Maktoum International (DWC), 17 minutes. [joby-ir-2025-11-17]
  5. 2025-11-17
    Joby names the expanded vertiport network: Dubai Mall, Atlantis The Royal (Palm Jumeirah) and American University of Dubai join VDX. [joby-ir-2025-11-17]
  6. 2025-11-20
    RTA on fares: not decided; ‘cheaper than helicopters today in Dubai’; long-term aim of Uber/Careem parity. [gulf-news-2025-11-20]
  7. 2026-02-25
    Joby and Uber announce ‘Uber Air powered by Joby’: booking through the Uber app, one tap for every leg; Joby ‘expects to carry its first passengers later this year’. [joby-uber-2026-02-25]
  8. 2026-04-16
    VDX reaches technical completion. [skyports-2026-04-16]
  9. 2026-07-07
    The GCAA certifies VDX — the world’s first purpose-built commercial vertiport certificate. Capacity up to 170,000 passengers/year; services expected before the end of 2026. [skyports-2026-07-07] [national-2026-07-07]
  10. Pending
    Joby’s operational certification with the GCAA, publication of fares, and the first commercial passenger flight. This entry will be replaced by dated milestones as they occur.

Current status

As of 22 August 2026, Dubai’s air taxi service has not launched. The first vertiport (VDX at Dubai International) was GCAA-certified on 7 July 2026 — the first certificate of its kind in the world — and Joby has said it expects to carry its first passengers before the end of 2026. [skyports-2026-07-07] [joby-uber-2026-02-25]

Frequently asked questions

Has Dubai’s air taxi launched?
No. As of 22 August 2026 no commercial passenger service is operating. The stated target is first passengers before the end of 2026.
What has actually been achieved so far?
A signed exclusive operator agreement (Feb 2024), a completed piloted flight-test campaign including a 17-minute point-to-point flight (Nov 2025), a booking channel announced through the Uber app (Feb 2026), technical completion (Apr 2026) and GCAA certification (Jul 2026) of the first vertiport, VDX.
What is still missing before launch?
Joby’s operational certification from the GCAA, published fares, and the first commercial flight itself. The GCAA said in November 2025 it targeted completing air-taxi certification by Q3 2026; that completion has not been announced as of 22 August 2026.
Will the launch date be announced in advance?
Neither the RTA nor Joby has committed to an advance announcement. This tracker updates on every dated milestone from a primary source.
Who is behind the Dubai service?
Joby Aviation (operator, exclusive 6-year agreement), RTA Dubai (network authority), Skyports Infrastructure (vertiport builder-operator) and Uber (booking channel), regulated by the UAE GCAA.

Sources

  1. [joby-ir-2024-02-11] Joby Aviation IR — Joby to Launch Air Taxi Service in UAE (11 Feb 2024) operator-ir · accessed 2026-08-22
  2. [skyports-2024-11-12] Skyports Infrastructure — Skyports and RTA break ground on first vertiport in Dubai (12 Nov 2024) primary · accessed 2026-08-22
  3. [joby-ir-2025-06-30] Joby Aviation IR — Joby Cements Global Lead with Dubai Flights (30 Jun 2025) operator-ir · accessed 2026-08-22
  4. [joby-ir-2025-11-17] Joby Aviation IR — Dubai Air Taxi Network Takes Flight (17 Nov 2025) operator-ir · accessed 2026-08-22
  5. [gulf-news-2025-11-20] Gulf News — Dubai air taxi fares could eventually match Uber, Careem, says RTA CEO (20 Nov 2025) press · accessed 2026-08-22
  6. [joby-uber-2026-02-25] Joby Aviation — Get Ready for Takeoff with Uber and Joby (25 Feb 2026) operator-ir · accessed 2026-08-22
  7. [skyports-2026-04-16] Skyports Infrastructure — Air taxi ready: world's first commercial vertiport reaches technical completion (16 Apr 2026) primary · accessed 2026-08-22
  8. [skyports-2026-07-07] Skyports Infrastructure — UAE Makes Global Aviation History with GCAA's Certification of the World's First Purpose-Built Commercial Vertiport (7 Jul 2026) primary · accessed 2026-08-22
  9. [national-2026-07-07] The National — Dubai's air taxis primed for lift-off after approval for first vertiport (7 Jul 2026) press · accessed 2026-08-22

Verification flags

See also
ExplainerDubai air taxi price — what is confirmedTrial-onlyExplainerHow to book Dubai’s air taxiTrial-onlyExplainerDubai air taxi routes & flight timesTrial-onlyVertiportDXB Vertiport (VDX)Certified
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