During the World Government Summit, UAE Vice-President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved the design for new air taxi stations in Dubai.
He stated that Dubai would become the first city in the world to have a fully developed network of vertiports and that air taxis would start operating there in three years. An infrastructure called a vertiport is used to house electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, including air taxis.
The air taxis would have a range of 241 kilometres and a top speed of 300 km/h. There will be a pilot and four passengers in each cab. The Dubai International Airport, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Marina will be connected by the vertiport network.
To build and develop the air taxi network by 2026, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been collaborating with Skyports Infrastructure and Joby Aviation. The goal of the initiative is to deliver a seamless, zero-emission experience to passengers from beginning to end.
The RTA also featured a simulation at the conference where attendees may experience flying taxis. The aircraft’s ability to take off and land vertically will result in a quick turnaround time.
