A purpose-built vertiport for electric air taxis near Dubai International Airport has reached technical completion, as announced by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and Skyports Infrastructure.
The site is the first of four planned vertiports forming part of a wider air taxi network in Dubai. Initial operations are expected to begin before the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and final preparations.
The facility has been designed specifically for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs). Its structure spans four floors and covers around 3,100 square metres, combining passenger handling and flight operations in a single location. It includes two take-off and landing areas and charging systems developed to support rapid turnaround between flights.
The vertiport can also accommodate helicopters under a hybrid regulatory framework developed with the General Civil Aviation Authority. It is designed for high usage, with an estimated annual capacity of up to 170,000 passengers and 42,000 aircraft movements.
The project was presented to Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, who was given a demonstration of how passengers would move through the facility.
Plans for the service include app-based booking through systems developed by Joby Aviation, automated check-in, and dedicated waiting and boarding areas aimed at reducing time between arrival and departure.
The Dubai International Airport vertiport is intended to serve as the central hub in the network. Additional locations are planned at Dubai Marina, Dubai Mall and Palm Jumeirah, with construction already underway at some sites.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said:The delivery of the Air Taxi Station by Skyports Infrastructure near Dubai International Airport reflects the qualitative progress made by RTA in advancing a smart and sustainable mobility ecosystem, built on the integration of various transport modes and aligned with global transformations in urban mobility. This step paves the way for expanding the development of Air Taxi vertiports across the emirate, ensuring the delivery of advanced air mobility services to residents and visitors, while enhancing connectivity between key areas, business centres, and tourist destinations.
Testing of aircraft linked to the programme has been ongoing. Joby Aviation previously carried out piloted test flights in the emirate, including routes between Margham and Al Maktoum International Airport, in coordination with local aviation authorities.
Further work is expected before commercial services begin, including continued testing, certification processes and network expansion.
Duncan Walker, CEO, Skyports Infrastructure said: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. 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.
