Sheikh Hamdan Reviews Dubai’s First Air Taxi Station Near DXB, Ready for Operations

Dubai has completed its first purpose-built electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Air Taxi Station near Dubai International Airport, and authorities say commercial operations are expected to begin by the end of the year.

“His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, said that the completion of Dubai’s first air taxi station marks a strategic leap in the emirate’s journey to lead the future of urban mobility”

ARN News Centre

The South China Morning Post reports that Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, crown prince of Dubai and United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister, visited the “first purpose-built electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Air Taxi Station,” with the facility described by Dubai’s authorities as the “first of its kind in the world.”

ARN News Centre

The station is a four-storey facility with a total area of 3,100 square metres (33,400 square feet), and it includes “two Air Taxi take-off and landing pads” plus dedicated charging infrastructure.

The station is also described as “the main hub for Air Taxi operations” and is designed to accommodate up to 170,000 passengers per year.

The Ours Abroad report adds that governance and integration with Dubai’s wider transport network are managed by the RTA, and it says the station was reviewed by Sheikh Hamdan after being delivered near DXB.

Khaleej Times similarly says Sheikh Hamdan announced the station was “ready,” and it places the facility within a wider network that includes Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Marina.

Multiple outlets tie the completion to World Public Transport Day on 17 April, with Ours Abroad stating it marked “the first edition of World Public Transport Day on 17 April” and Khaleej Times saying the milestone aligned with April 17.

The station’s physical layout is described in detail across outlets, including its four-storey footprint, its passenger capacity, and its integration features.

The South China Morning Post says the facility includes “four floors with a total area of 3,100 square metres (33,400 square feet),” along with “a two-level car park” and “dedicated charging infrastructure.”

Greater Belize Media

Gulf News likewise describes the station as spanning “3,100 square metres” and says it includes “two landing pads, charging infrastructure for electric aircraft, a two-level car park and climate-controlled passenger facilities.”

Khaleej Times adds that the station comprises “a four-storey building spanning 3,100 square metres, a two-level car park, two air taxi take-off and landing pads, dedicated charging infrastructure for air taxi vehicles, and climate-controlled passenger facilities.”

The ARN News Centre report says the station is being delivered by Skyports Infrastructure and overseen by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and it lists “two take-off and landing pads” and “climate-controlled passenger facilities” as part of the package.

Ours Abroad says the station is designed to serve as “the main hub for air taxi operations in the city” and describes it as featuring “two take-off and landing pads for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft” plus “climate-controlled passenger facilities.”

Several outlets also specify how the station is meant to fit into a broader mobility system, with Ours Abroad saying it will integrate with “the metro and buses” and with individual mobility options such as “electric scooters and bicycles.”

Joby Aviation is repeatedly identified as the operator for the flights from the station, and multiple outlets describe the company’s exclusive operating rights in Dubai.

“The initial station is projected to serve approximately 170,000 passengers annually Dubai: Dubai has completed construction of its first air taxi station near Dubai International Airport, marking a key milestone in plans to launch commercial electric air transport services in the emirate later this year”

Gulf News

The South China Morning Post says flights by California-based Joby Aviation are expected to begin by the end of the year and that Joby will have “exclusive rights for six years.”

Ours Abroad similarly states that “Under an agreement with the RTA, Joby holds the exclusive right to operate Air Taxi services in Dubai for six years,” and it adds that Joby is building a local workforce to support commercial operations in the emirate.

Gulf News also says US-based Joby Aviation is developing the electric aircraft and is expected to operate the service once launched, while the RTA will oversee regulation and integration with the wider transport network.

The Siasat Daily reports that the station is built to support eVTOL aircraft and will serve as the starting point for passenger operations once regulatory approvals are in place, and it says the station was built by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in partnership with Joby Aviation.

Khaleej Times ties the station’s readiness to the launch timeline, saying Sheikh Hamdan directed the service to be launched for public use this year and that the first station is expected to serve around 170,000 passengers annually.

Across these accounts, the station’s completion is framed as a milestone toward the start of Joby’s commercial operations, with Ours Abroad quoting Sheikh Hamdan’s statement that “With the completion of the first Air Taxi Station, we reaffirm our commitment to shaping the future of mobility.”

Before the station’s completion, Joby’s progress in the UAE is described through a sequence of test milestones and a regulatory approach that combines US and UAE oversight.

The ARN News Centre report says that in November 2025 Joby completed “the nation’s first piloted point-to-point air taxi flight,” describing it as “a 17-minute journey from its Margham test facility to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).”

Khaleej Times

It adds that the milestone was accompanied by a “summer flight campaign” in which Joby conducted “21 piloted flights to validate aircraft performance in desert heat,” producing data on “thermal management and flight dynamics in high-temperature, low-density air.”

Khaleej Times similarly says the November 2025 flight was “a 17-minute journey from its Margham test facility to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)” and repeats that Joby conducted “21 piloted flights” during the summer campaign.

The Siasat Daily describes Joby as pursuing a “dual certification pathway,” using data validated by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alongside coordination with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to support approvals.

Gulf News says Joby is pursuing regulatory certification in coordination with UAE authorities, using data aligned with “U.S. Federal Aviation Administration standards” as part of the approval process.

Together, these accounts connect the station’s completion to the broader process of preparing operating manuals and certification requirements for the region, with ARN News Centre stating that the tests supported “the finalisation of operating manuals and certification requirements for the region.”

Dubai’s air taxi station is presented as a way to cut travel times and connect key destinations, with multiple outlets giving the same route comparison between Dubai International Airport and Palm Jumeirah.

“Dubai has completed the world’s first purpose-built Air Taxi station, marking a major step in the emirate’s journey to lead the future of urban mobility”

Ours Abroad

The South China Morning Post says the station is located near the city’s international airport and will serve as the main hub, while Ours Abroad and Khaleej Times both provide a specific journey-time comparison.

Ours Abroad

Ours Abroad says “Travel time from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah is expected to be around 10 minutes, compared to approximately 45 minutes by car.”

Khaleej Times gives the same comparison, stating the journey “is expected to take approximately 10 minutes, compared to around 45 minutes by car.”

Gulf News also repeats that a proposed trip from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah is expected to take “around 10 minutes compared with roughly 45 minutes by car.”

The ARN News Centre report says the air taxi service is expected to “significantly cut travel times across the city,” and it links the station’s completion to commercial launch timing.

In addition to time savings, outlets emphasize multimodal integration, with Ours Abroad saying the service will integrate with “the metro and buses” and with “electric scooters and bicycles,” and with Khaleej Times saying it will integrate with “shared mobility modes.”