Dubai: Dubai’s first flying taxi vertiport, Dubai International Vertiport (DXV), will be located near Dubai International Airport, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), UAE’s aviation authority, announced on Thursday.
GCAA said that the first of four initial air taxi vertiports, developed by UK-based advanced air mobility infrastructure company Skyports, has received design approval from the GCAA. According to a joint press statement from GCAA and Skyports, this is a crucial development milestone for the facility, following the groundbreaking in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“This significant milestone enables Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports) to continue with the development of its DXV facility, where commercial air taxi operations are scheduled to begin from 2026,” said the statement. Flights are anticipated to launch by Q1 2026 with US-based Joby Aviation’s electric air taxi, who are in the advanced stages of aircraft certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They are also working with the GCAA on approval for UAE operations.
DXV – UAE’s first vertiport
The Dubai International Vertiport (DXV), named for its location near Dubai International Airport (DXB), is the first facility to receive design approval under the newly established UAE Vertiport Regulations. The statement explained that it is the first of four sites in an initial air taxi infrastructure network being developed by Skyports in collaboration with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Joby Aviation.
Three other vertiports are planned for Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina.Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the GCAA, said, “The approval of the DXV Vertiport design advances the UAE’s leadership in adopting innovative aviation solutions.” Al Suwaidi said, “Aligned with the ambitious visions of the country’s wise leadership and supporting the Air Taxi Project set to launch in 2026, this project exemplifies our commitment to creating safe, secure and future-ready infrastructure.”
The vertiport has also been designed with the flexibility to expand capacity to accommodate future demand growth.
DXV’s capacity
Skyports said in November that the three-storey vertiport building will cover an area of approximately 3,100 square metres and support up to 170,000 passengers annually.
The facility will have two landing areas designed to help 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.
Key milestone
This approval ensures the infrastructure meets the GCAA’s safety and physical requirements, including airspace, layout, and rescue services. Skyports also presented a robust firefighting strategy for both battery and fuel fires.
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, said: “What we’re undertaking in Dubai – and driving in other regions – completely reimagines how people travel around cities and between regions. This is all made possible by developing new regulatory frameworks and guidelines, which ensure a compliant, safe, and scalable approach to aviation infrastructure.”
Walked added, “Today, with the GCAA, we’ve reached a key milestone for our flagship DXV facility, bringing us ever closer to launching commercial air taxi operations.”
The US manufacturer is in advanced stages of aircraft certification with the Federal Aviation Administration and is working with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority on approval for UAE operations.
