Air Taxi revolutionises urban transportation in Dubai: CEO
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, announced the company's commitment to manufacturing and operating air taxi services in Dubai, slated for commercial launch in 2026. This move solidifies Dubai's position as a leader in urban transportation.
In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) at the World Governments Summit (WGS), Bevirt revealed that Joby Aviation has signed an agreement with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai to introduce this innovative service. Operational trials are set to commence in 2025.
The agreement encompasses essential elements for a successful launch, including designated operational routes and planned infrastructure bolstered by strategic partnerships.
Bevirt highlighted that Joby's aircraft can carry a pilot and four passengers at a speed of up to 200 miles per hour, positively reducing the commute time to 10 minutes from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah compared with a 45-minute journey by car.
Initially focusing on Dubai, Joby Aviation intends to expand its operations throughout the UAE and the wider region.
Bevirt lauded Dubai's transportation sector's remarkable progress, citing the availability of modern transportation modes such as cars and metro. The introduction of aerial transportation represents the next evolutionary leap.
The Joby Aviation S4 is designed to accommodate four passengers plus the pilot safely and securely.
It is equipped with six propellers and four battery packs, enabling it to cover a maximum distance of 161km. With a top speed of up to 321km per hour, the aerial taxi is less noisy than helicopters.
Its vertical take-off and landing capability makes it efficient for urban environments, eliminating the need for extensive horizontal space typically required for conventional stations.
Adam Grosser, chairman and managing director of UP Partners, said there was a lot of worry about flying drones over houses. "It’s considered unpleasant, noisy and invading privacy. But based on the experiences of hundreds of thousands of deliveries with speeds of 70 to 90 miles, it will be a very short time and will not invade privacy.
Going forward, the convenience of transporting goods through drones will outweigh most peoples’ concerns. The modern drone delivery system will be delivering goods within 3-5 minutes,” Grosser said during a panel discussion on the first day of the World Governments Summit at Madinat Jumeirah.
“In the last 10 years, there has been a real evolution of system design on how to integrate with retail, work with regulatory authorities and delivery services.”
With regard to the noise of drones, he stressed that all companies have spent quite a lot of time and money to deal with it. In 2022, Joby collaborated with Nasa to measure the sound of its aircraft, confirming it registered the equivalent of 45.2 A-weighted decibels (dBA) when flying overhead at an altitude of 1,640 feet – quieter than a typical conversation.
“The hard part in drones is avionics and cooperatively operating aerospace with full scale aircraft with this new form of aviation,” he added.