Flying Taxi Vertiport Network Planned for Abu DhabiFlying Taxi Vertiport Network Planned for Abu Dhabi

Skyports Infrastructure and AI-powered drone technology company Lodd introduced new vertiport designs to move cargo and passengers in Abu Dhabi.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding agreement at the ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium 2025 in Abu Dhabi this week.

The planned vertiport network aims to facilitate the growth of eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles and autonomous aerial logistics in the region.

The plan is to use electric aerial vehicles (EAV) to connect key sites within Abu Dhabi, with the potential to connect between other Emirates.

Interest in advanced air mobility (AAM) in the United Arab Emirates has been growing, with numerous eVTOL flight demonstrations and signed deals in the region over the past year.

“The unveiling of these designs and signing of an MOU highlights the progress being made to define and develop Abu Dhabi’s AAM infrastructure network,” Skyports CEO Duncan Walker said in the announcement. “As our vertiport concept designs show, cargo is just as important to Abu Dhabi’s AAM future as passenger operations. 

“The development of a comprehensive passenger and cargo network will enable us to bring wide ranging benefits to the Emirate, for both people and businesses.”

Related:Flying Taxi Vertiport Design Approved for Dubai

Planned EAV operations include both piloted air taxis and self-flying, AI-enabled passenger and cargo vehicles.

Skyports also has received technical design approval for a vertiport in Dubai, the first commercial vertiport in the UAE.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) approved the facility being built at Dubai International Vertiport (DXV), adjacent to Dubai International Airport.

Skyports is continuing with the development of its facility, where commercial air taxi operations are scheduled to begin.

The vertiport was the first to be approved under the newly established UAE Vertiport Regulations and the first of four being developed with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Joby Aviation.

Design approval involved an assessment of physical dimensions, layout, airspace considerations, obstacle environment and rescue and firefighting services, with Skyports demonstrating a firefighting strategy for battery and traditional fuel fires.

Construction started on the vertiport late last year. 

Vertiports are used for takeoff and landing, passenger loading and unloading and battery charging between flights.

The vertiport is for takeoff and landing for the Joby eVTOL air taxi.

Joby planned for the four initial locations to form its vertiport network for the air taxi service in the UAE.

Related:Flying Taxi Vertiport Construction Starts in Dubai

In addition to DBX, Joby vertiports would be developed at Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai and the Dubai Marina. 

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Travel in the Joby flying taxi from DBX to Palm Jumeirah would take 12 minutes, compared to a 45-minute drive.

Joby, the RTA and Skyports signed a deal last year providing Joby with exclusive access to the Dubai air taxi market for six years.

The Joby electric flying taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers and travel up to 200 mph. The company also plans to operate its EAVs in New York City and Los Angeles along with its partner Delta Air Lines.

The EAV maker has conducted exhibition flights with Toyota in Japan, in the eVTOL company’s first flights outside the U.S.

Toyota has been investing in Joby since 2019, starting with Toyota Ventures, in addition to sharing knowledge of the Toyota systems for planning, manufacturing methods and tooling design. 

Joby last year announced a public offering of common stock to raise $202 million.

Joby planned to use the financing to fund its “certification and manufacturing efforts, prepare for commercial operations and for general working capital and other general corporate purposes,” the company stated in a regulatory filing.

That funding followed a $500 million investment by Toyota, which brought its total investment in the EAV maker to $894 million.

That initial investment grew to $394 million and Toyota engineers now work side-by-side with Joby staff in California

Joby and Toyota signed a long-term agreement for Toyota to supply key powertrain and actuation components for Joby’s EAVs. 

Joby has applied to become the first certified air taxi operator in the UAE.

Joby already has partnership with the UAE through a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Municipalities and Transport Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and the Department of Culture and Tourism, setting Joby up to establish and scale flying taxi services in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Joby has raised more than $2 billion from Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom and Uber and has logged more than 33,00 miles of flight with a full-scale prototype, according to the company.

While Joby is partnered with Delta, Archer Aviation, the other major air taxi company, has a partnership with United Airlines.