From desert to Dubai skies: Inside Joby’s air taxi testing campaign

Joby Aviation, preparing to launch commercial air taxi services in Dubai next year, has successfully demonstrated both A-to-A and A-to-B flights as part of its ongoing testing programme.

An A-to-A flight takes off and lands at the same location, while an A-to-B flight departs from one site and lands at another.

Building on its landmark 2024 agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) – that granted Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxis in the emirate for six years – the US firm has been conducting extensive trials in the Margham desert.

“Since 2017, we’ve been working with Dubai. In 2024, we signed a definitive agreement with the RTA and the Dubai government. In June this year, we brought our first aircraft to market. We demonstrated the aircraft's capability in Margham. We did 21 flights, 450km, more than 2 hours and 30 minutes of flying in the same area,” Anthony Khoury, General Manager – UAE, Joby Aviation, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow.

Khoury said the test phase has been highly successful.

“So, all of these were A-to-A flights. We took off from one spot and landed back in the same spot. But we did full transition piloted flights, meaning a pilot flew the aircraft and we completed transition flights – not only vertical; we did a full transition,” he said, explaining that Joby carried out proper, advanced flight testing in the desert, not just simple hover tests.

Desert to DWC in 17 minutes

Marking a major milestone on its path to commercial operations in 2026, Joby recently completed its first A-to-B flight, travelling from Margham to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in 17 minutes.

“Earlier this week, we did our first A-to-B flight. We left Margham and came to Al Maktoum International Airport. It was piloted, without passengers. This really shows you, one, the aircraft’s capabilities, but more importantly, Dubai’s readiness for this type of transportation. The airspace was ready, the infrastructure was ready, and the regulatory framework was ready. So, it really showcased the capabilities of us as an operator and the Dubai government and the Dubai infrastructure readiness,” Khoury noted.

Joby also made history with a 10-minute live demonstration of its air taxi at the Dubai Airshow – its first appearance at an international airshow. Visitors can watch the air taxi in action daily, offering a preview of what Dubai’s skies could look like in 2026.