Joby Signs Exclusive Partnership with Dubai RTA, Completes UAE’s First Intercity eVTOL Manned Test Flight, to Launch Dubai Air Taxi Network by Late 2026
Author: Backhouse Global Low-Altitude Economic Network
In November 2025, Joby Aviation, a leading U.S. eVTOL manufacturer, entered an exclusive in-depth strategic cooperation with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and successfully completed the first intercity manned eVTOL test flight in the United Arab Emirates. The milestone flight kicked off the commercialization of high-end low-altitude passenger transportation in the Middle East and has become a benchmark case for the global expansion of the low-altitude economy. The test flight departed from Dubai’s Magham Test Site and landed at Al Maktoum International Airport, taking only 17 minutes, which greatly shortened travel time compared with ground commuting and fully demonstrated the high-efficiency advantages of low-altitude transportation. With stable flight status, standardized takeoff and landing procedures, and qualified passenger experience throughout the whole process, the flight passed comprehensive official safety inspections, laying a solid foundation for subsequent large-scale commercial operations. Following the successful test flight, the two parties signed a six-year exclusive operation agreement, making Joby the sole officially certified low-altitude passenger transport partner in Dubai. According to the plan, three core vertiports will be built at Dubai Mall, Royal Atlantis Hotel, and Dubai University, covering core business districts, high-end cultural tourism zones, and educational areas to form a point-to-point full-coverage urban low-altitude passenger network. Joby’s main operational model boasts a maximum speed of 322 kilometers per hour and a maximum range of 161 kilometers, focusing on zero-emission commuting between airports and urban areas, which aligns perfectly with Dubai’s positioning as a green smart city. Endowed with abundant capital, open policies, and high-end market demand, the Middle East has become a core hub for the commercialization of the global low-altitude economy. Dubai’s layout aims to seize the commanding height of future transportation tracks and build the world’s first large-scale, normalized, and commercial urban air taxi system. Joby’s settlement in Dubai marks the expansion of global low-altitude commercialization from mature European and American markets to high-end Middle Eastern markets. It provides a mature model for cross-border low-altitude industrial cooperation and operational innovation, accelerating the global commercialization of low-altitude passenger transportation.
