Construction underway for world’s first flying taxi station Dubai International Vertiport

Dubai: Construction has officially commenced on the world’s first dedicated vertiport for air taxis, strategically located adjacent to Dubai International Airport (DXB), the CEO of Dubai Airports announced to Gulf News. The groundbreaking project, officially known as DXV, will be situated adjacent to DXB.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, confirmed the extensive involvement of DXB in the ambitious undertaking. “We’re very heavily involved in it,” Griffiths stated, emphasising the collaborative effort to bring this futuristic vision to life. “In fact, construction on site has started.”

“I witnessed one of the early demonstration flights of the new air taxi a few weeks ago, and it was very impressive. I believe this will be the future of personal mobility,” he said.

He elaborated on the experience, noting how the aircraft "take[s] off, transition[s] to forward flights in a very, very quiet and smooth way."

The ease of operation, a testament to advanced engineering, particularly struck Griffiths. "I've talked to the test pilots who said, you know, look, I could teach anyone to fly this so quickly, because the electronics and the systems involved in control are so advanced now, the aircraft almost flies itself."

This ease of use and the inherent quietness of the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles underscore the transformative potential Griffiths envisions. He firmly believes this technology represents "the future of personal mobility." Looking ahead, he anticipates a rapid evolution: "It won't be too many steps before we see air taxis flying autonomously point to point between all sorts of different destinations."

The impact, Griffiths suggests, will be profound. "I think it will be transformative over time. We won't be able to remember how we actually travelled in taxis. I think over a short space of time, it will seem to regard."

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the UAE's aviation authority, announced plans for DXV in January this year.

The first of four initial air taxi vertiports, developed by UK-based advanced air mobility infrastructure company Skyports, received design approval from the GCAA earlier this year.

 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 (FAA).

They are also working with the GCAA on approval for UAE operations. Last month, Dubai successfully conducted the region’s first test flight of the Joby Aerial Taxi.

The 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. Skyports is developing the first of four sites in an initial air taxi infrastructure network 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.