ALBAWABA – Joby Aviation, the startup working on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, has announced that its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircrafts are set to launch an air taxi service in Dubai, UAE in late 2025, beating the US in the race.
Joby’s president of operations, Bonny Simi, has explained in an interview according to Bloomberg, that progress with partners in Dubai is “a bit more advanced in the approach that they’re taking” compared to other regions, enabling them to launch in the emirate first.
Joby’s electric air taxi in the skies above New York City, piloted by James “Buddy” Denham. (Joby Aviation Image)
In a financial statement, the company stated they “signed a definitive agreement with the government of Dubai that grants Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxis in the Emirate for six years. The agreement includes financial support and identifies a regulatory pathway to enable early operations.”
Some eyebrows may rise at the idea of an established US AAM developer selling services overseas away of its native market. However, as Drone DJ writes, Joby's reference to Dubai isn't all that unexpected considering its position in the battle between air taxi firms to be the first to take to the sky and between countries to be the first to host such commercial flights.
Joby to launch air taxi service in UAE
— Joby Aviation (@jobyaviation) February 11, 2024
We’ve signed a landmark agreement with the government of Dubai, granting Joby the exclusive right to operate air taxis in the Emirate.
The agreement brings together the three key ingredients for a successful air taxi service: a definitive… pic.twitter.com/eZM4yK0jZP
At the World Governments Summit in February, Joby Aviation and Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) inked a deal to begin air taxi services by early 2026, with the emirate winning a six-year exclusivity; Joby had originally planned to begin operations as early as 2025.
The founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, Joe Ben Bevirt, has stated in an interview with Khaleej Times that the company is also looking into the possibility of establishing a manufacturing plant in the UAE and other nearby nations.
Bevirt said that Joby “received $330 million incentives,” adding that the company is “in active conversation with the region about opportunities for manufacturing in the region. And UAE is among the regional countries to set up manufacturing unit.”
