Sci-fi movies like Star Wars and The Fifth Element have long depicted cities with flying taxis taking to the air at high speeds.
Finally, it looks like this ultimate form of comfort is coming to the real world.
A California company called Joby Aviation says it will organize commercial air taxi trips around Dubai next year.
Incredible images show what luxury will be like for paying passengers, who will wait at ‘vertiports’ for their flight to depart, just like at current airports.
The company’s propeller-driven taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 198 miles/hour (320 km/hour).
A California company called Joby Aviation will bring flying taxis to Dubai starting in 2025, it says. Joby’s propeller-driven taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 198 miles per hour (320 kilometers per hour).
At that speed, a flight from Dubai airport to Palm Jumeirah, the city’s archipelago of artificial islands and tourist hotspot, would take just 10 minutes, a trip that takes 45 minutes by car, according to Joby.
The company has signed an agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch air taxi services there in early 2026, with Joby targeting initial operations starting next year.
“We are honored to partner with the Government of Dubai to demonstrate to the world the value of sustainable air travel,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation.
“We look forward to offering an incredible experience to Dubai residents and visitors starting in 2025 and are excited to lay the foundation for the expansion of our service throughout the UAE.”
Joby’s flying taxi is known as a VTOL aircraft, a type of craft that can take off directly into the air rather than having to first gain speed on the ground, reducing the need for runway space.
Powered by six electric motors, it provides a smooth ride that feels more like getting into an SUV than boarding a plane, according to the firm.
VTOL aircraft can take off directly into the air instead of having to first gain speed on the ground, reducing the need for runway space. Here, Joby’s electric air taxi is on display at the World Government Summit in Dubai
The company’s taxi is designed to transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour.
Joby has also signed an agreement with British transport company Skyports, which will design, build and operate four ‘vertiport’ sites in Dubai for the taxi to take off from
The taxi has a range of 160 kilometers (100 miles) before it runs out, so it is not suitable for long-haul flights.
Like the electric car revolution happening on the ground, Joby’s taxis are fully electric, meaning they emit no toxic pollutants.
Joby, which began test flights with a pilot on board in California in October, has also signed an agreement with British transport company Skyports.
Based in London, Skyports will design, build and operate four ‘vertiport’ sites in Dubai from which the taxi will be launched.
Together, the partners have identified Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai as the vertiport locations.
All through a smartphone app, customers booked a ride on Joby’s flying taxi and received their ticket before passing through a barrier at their departure point.
As at current airports, passengers would be greeted in Vertiport lounges before departure, although this could be restricted to the very wealthy.
A spokesperson for Joby told MailOnline that it will confirm the price of a one-way trip at a later date, but added that it wants to make it as affordable as possible.
It will also be “considerably cheaper” than a private helicopter ride, a luxury often afforded to millionaires.
As in today’s airports, passengers will be greeted in the ‘vertiport’ lounges before their departure in a Joby flying taxi (artist’s rendering)
All through a smartphone app, customers booked a ride on Joby’s flying taxi and received their ticket before passing through a barrier at their departure point.
Joby has been conducting test flights in the United States since October and in November conducted a demonstration flight in New York City.
It marked the first flight of an electric air taxi in the city and the first time Joby flew in an urban environment.
Joby is not the only company seeking to bring air taxis to Dubai, although the California company now has the exclusive right to operate air taxis there.
London-based startup Bellwether Industries completed a test flight of its all-electric VTOL prototype in the city in late 2021.
Meanwhile, German company Volocopter will transport passengers around Paris during this year’s Summer Olympics.
It has already successfully conducted a test flight of its VoloCity VTOL, which looks more like a helicopter or a giant drone than a car.