UAE charts 'high-flying' future for urban mobility

Commuters in the United Arab Emirates may soon have a futuristic option to escape congestion: flying taxis. The innovation marks the country's latest bid to ease pressure on ground transportation and offer travelers a faster alternative.

On Monday in Dubai, California-based Joby Aviation, in partnership with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, conducted the inaugural test flight of the Joby Aerial Taxi, an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the Emirates News Agency reported.

The aircraft boasts a range of up to 160 kilometers and a top speed of 320 km per hour. Joby Aviation estimates that a journey from Dubai International Airport to the iconic Palm Jumeirah islands will take just 12 minutes by air taxi — compared with the typical 45-minute car trip.

Featuring six rotors and four battery packs, the aircraft can carry four passengers and a pilot, and operates at significantly lower noise levels than conventional helicopters. Its vertical takeoff and landing capabilities make it ideally suited for urban environments, requiring only compact vertiports for takeoff and landing, the agency said.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the UAE's deputy prime minister and crown prince of Dubai, hailed the test flight as "a major step toward launching full operations next year".

Joby Aviation has yet to announce fares but says it aims to be "affordable for everybody to use". Its general manager in the UAE, Anthony Khoury, said early pricing will likely target higher-income travelers.

The UAE is advancing an ambitious transport agenda encompassing drones, driverless taxis, and air taxis. Last month, Abu Dhabi conducted test flights of self-flying air taxis, described by the Abu Dhabi Media Office as a "pivotal step toward integrating urban air mobility into daily life".

The flights, conducted by the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, fintech firm Multi Level Group, and Chinese drone maker EHang, featured the EH216-S — EHang's electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft equipped with eight arms and 16 propellers.

It was the first pilotless, passenger-carrying aircraft in China to receive air operator certification from the country's Civil Aviation Administration.

As previously reported by UAE daily The National, EHang has signed an agreement with UAE based Monarch Airplane Manufacturing to establish an aircraft assembly line and support facilities in Abu Dhabi.