Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Skyports Infrastructure have announced that the vertiport situated by Dubai International Airport has reached technical completion, with initial air taxi operations targeted before the end of 2026.
The four-storey facility spans 3,100sq m (33,368sq ft) and features two dedicated take-off and landing areas equipped for eVTOL aircraft. It includes the Joby Aviation-developed Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS), described as the first fast-charging equipment to be fitted at a commercial vertiport. The facility can also handle conventional helicopter traffic under a hybrid regulatory framework developed with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The vertiport is designed for high-capacity operations, with the ability to handle up to 170,000 passengers annually and 42,000 aircraft movements. It connects directly to the Emirates Metro Station and includes an integrated multi-storey car park.
The milestone was marked by a tour and demonstration for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, including a simulation of the passenger experience and a look at how air taxi operations would function.
“With the world’s first commercial vertiport now being in a technical position to take eVTOL flights, we are seeing aviation history in the making,” said Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports Infrastructure. “After years of planning and in-depth design, this new class of infrastructure brings together the latest technologies and innovations that will change how people move around their cities.”
Anthony El-Khoury, general manager for the UAE at Joby Aviation, said: “Together with the RTA, we’re proud to celebrate this important step and the progress it represents toward launching operations.”
The vertiport is the first of four planned nodes in Dubai’s air taxi network, with further sites in development at Dubai Marina, Dubai Mall and Palm Jumeirah. Construction at Dubai Marina is underway, with work at the remaining two locations set to begin in the coming months.
Joby Aviation has been conducting flight testing in the UAE since June 2025, when it completed a series of piloted test flights at Margham, validating aircraft performance under local environmental conditions. The program included the first UAE piloted flights between two locations and daily flight demonstrations at the Dubai Airshow 2025.
