Santa Cruz, CA / Nov 12, 2024 — Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric air-taxis for commercial passenger service, announced the beginning of a construction of the first vertiport as part of the planned Dubai air-taxi network.
Situated at Dubai International Airport (DXB), the vertiport is being constructed by Skyports and Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA), partners of Joby Aviation. The ceremony of the beginning was attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the RTA, JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, as well as representatives from the Dubai RTA and Skyports.
DXB vertiport is the first of four locations of Joby’s network of vertiports for air-taxi service planned to be opened in the Emirate by 2025. the other three vertiports planned for development are in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown, and Dubai Marina. Joby’s air-taxi service is part of an agreement among Joby, RTA and Skyports, which gives Joby an exclusive access to Dubai’s air-taxi market for six years.
The three-storey vertiport building will cover an area of approximately 3,100 sq. metres. The facility is to have two landing areas, designed to support both eVTOL and conventional helicopter operations. Each landing area will be equipped with fast charging technology to enable rapid battery recharges between flights, supporting up to 10 aircraft landings per hour. The vertiport has also been designed with the flexibility to expand capacity to accommodate future demand growth.
Passenger amenities are designed to provide a seamless, premium experience, including electronic check-in, security screening, a comfortable departure lounge and briefing areas. The vertiport can support up to 170,000 passengers per year.
“Our air-taxi service in Dubai will offer tourists and residents the opportunity to experience a revolutionary travel experience, with faster movement between key destinations and breathtaking views of the city skyline,” commented JoeBen Bevirt.
“With the start of construction on our air-taxi network, our shared vision for electric air-taxi service in Dubai is coming to life. I’m grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and to the government of Dubai for their support and commitment to innovation.”
The vertiport is designed to be integrated with Dubai’s multimodal transport network, providing seamless connectivity with Dubai Metro’s Emirates Station 2, DXB Airport, parking infrastructure, and other ground transportation options. Designed for exceptional passenger experience and high throughput, the facility is designed to demonstrate a future vision for air travel focused on convenience and seamless passenger movements.
The two take-off and landing stands, each equipped with Joby-designed Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS) will support rapid vehicle charging and conditioning in-between flights.
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, added, “This is an exciting day. The shared vision of Skyports, the RTA, Joby Aviation and the many government authorities we work with in Dubai and the UAE, is now being realised as we begin construction and see the first vertiport come to life.”
He continued, “In the coming months, we will continue to advance our efforts in Dubai while our teams diligently work on essential technology, regulatory and operational preparations, to ensure a successful launch on day one.”
Joby recently announced it has taken the first step toward becoming a certificated air-taxi operator in the United Arab Emirates. As part of the process to attain an Air Operator Certificate from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, Joby will demonstrate the readiness of its aircraft as well as its training, maintenance, operations and safety programs for commercial air transport.
Joby’s electric air-taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.
Construction has begun on the first vertiport in our planned Dubai air taxi network!
Situated at Dubai International Airport (DXB), the vertiport is designed for exceptional passenger experience and high throughput to deliver convenient and seamless travel between key… pic.twitter.com/ESA6u2ZP1B— Joby Aviation (@jobyaviation) November 12, 2024
Credit to: Joby Aviation and Skyports