Dubai’s first flying taxi vertiport, Dubai International Vertiport (DXV), will be located near Dubai International Airport, Gulf News reporter citing the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), UAE’s aviation authority.
According to the report, 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 to continue developing 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, which is in the advanced stages of aircraft certification with the Federal Aviation Administration. They are also working with the GCAA on approval for UAE operations.
The Dubai International Vertiport (DXV) 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 developed by Skyports in collaboration with Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina.
‘The approval of the DXV Vertiport design advances the UAE leadership in adopting innovative aviation solutions,’ said Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCCA.
This approval ensures the infrastructure meets the GCCA’s safety and physical requirements, including airspace and rescue services.
Skyports said in November that the three-storey vertiport building will cover an area of approximately 3,100 square meters and support up to 170,000 passengers annually. The facility will have landing areas to help 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.
