Overview
- A piloted Joby S4 flew 17 minutes from Margham to Al Maktoum International Airport, entering controlled airspace and communicating with ATC in the UAE’s first crewed point-to-point eVTOL flight.
- Skyports’ vertiport near Dubai International Airport is 60% complete, spanning 3,100 square meters across four floors and designed for about 42,000 landings and roughly 170,000 passengers annually.
- Three additional initial sites were confirmed at Zabeel Dubai Mall, Atlantis The Royal on Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Marina at the American University in Dubai parking zone to form a four-vertiport network for 2026.
- RTA says an initial trial phase will begin in early 2026 with selected government and company participants likely riding free to provide feedback, with broader commercial service targeted later in 2026.
- Joby is progressing FAA type certification while coordinating a GCAA qualification pathway that could permit limited UAE passenger operations ahead of full FAA approval, with an app-based booking flow previewed to integrate Uber for first/last-mile links.