Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
The UAE is edging closer to making flying taxis a reality, with authorities laying the groundwork for this new era of urban mobility - from drafting regulations and mapping air corridors to planning the vertiport network that will enable operations.
Aerial taxis could be soaring above Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 2026, with landmark milestones crossed this year.
In Abu Dhabi, Archer Aviation completed an initial flight of its Midnight aircraft at Al Bateen Executive Airport. Meanwhile, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority and Joby Aviation successfully conducted the first crewed eVTOL flight between two locations.
Tech experts praise how the country stays ahead of the curve, fast-tracks development, and leverages advanced technologies to build smarter, more connected cities.
Yomna Garada, Associate Urban Planner at InSite, pointed out that introducing flying taxis would require redesigning infrastructure to integrate drop-off and pick-up points into the city's broader mobility network - a transformation already underway in the UAE.
In Abu Dhabi, major entities are working together to establish the emirate's first vertiport network that will support the launch of advanced air mobility. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office is collaborating with the General Civil Aviation Authority, the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), and Abu Dhabi Airports for this landmark initiative.
Ten world-class vertiports will be integrated into the emirate's transport system, with Zayed International Airport and Al Bateen Executive Airport confirmed as key locations.
Garada also emphasised that "there will be new strategies that need to govern the use of flying taxis." At the regulatory level, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is already mapping air corridors and aims to finalise clear regulations within the next two years.
Aerial taxis' takeoff will not be limited to the UAE capital and Dubai. Joby Aviation said it recently signed an agreement to launch air taxi operations in Ras Al Khaimah in 2027, starting with a hub on Al Marjan Island next to the Wynn Resort. The company intends to roll out services across all emirates and is working closely with local authorities to bring this plan to life.
Once officially in the skies, flying taxis could revolutionise travel across the UAE, helping ease congestion and strengthen connectivity, Garada said.
"Flying taxis can reduce long-distance travel within cities and cut down travel time, but this also depends on who is able to use them and how often, as well as the locations they serve," she explained.
Tech and artificial intelligence specialist Arkan Haddad noted that integrating AI into transportation is the backbone of the UAE's smart city ambitions.
"Residents already interact with it through smart traffic systems that ease congestion, autonomous shuttles in communities like Masdar and Yas Island, and biometric airport paths that ensure seamless travel," Haddad told Aletihad.
AI is seamlessly becoming part of Abu Dhabi and Dubai's urban fabric, Haddad said, and with flying taxis on the horizon, the UAE stands to reach a new level of smart mobility.
