Joby Aviation, Inc. has signed an agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch air taxi services in the emirate by early 2026, with Joby targeting initial operations as early as 2025. The agreement, signed at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, provides Joby with the exclusive right to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years. It secures a variety of support from the RTA, including financial mechanisms for entry and maturing of service operations in Dubai.
Joby additionally signed an agreement with Skyports, who will design, build and operate four initial "vertiport" sites across Dubai. RTA, Skyports and Joby have worked together to identify Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Downtown as the launch locations for Dubai’s air taxi service.
Joby’s aircraft, which was displayed in the region for the first time at the World Governments Summit, is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. It will be operated by the company, with a journey from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah expected to take just 10 minutes compared with 45 minutes by car.
To support the development of its operations in Dubai, Joby has established a local operating entity and intends to recruit locally for the majority of its operational team. As part of exploring broader operations across the U.A.E., Joby recently announced it will participate in the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster established by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).
In November 2023, Joby’s aircraft became the first electric air taxi to fly in New York City, building on a number of recent successes, including the launch of production at the company’s initial manufacturing facility in California in June 2023 and the first-ever delivery of an electric air taxi to the U.S. Department of Defense in September 2023.
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