The initial vertiport at DXB is one of four planned locations that will establish a network for air taxi services, which Joby aims to launch in Dubai as early as late 2025. The other three sites are anticipated to be sited in Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, and Dubai Marina, creating a cohesive transport network across the Emirate.

“Our air taxi service in Dubai will offer tourists and residents the opportunity to experience a revolutionary travel experience, with faster movement between key destinations and breathtaking views of the city skyline,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.

He added, “With the start of construction on our air taxi network, our shared vision for electric air taxi service in Dubai is coming to life. I’m grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and to the government of Dubai for their support and commitment to innovation”.

Also Read: Ericsson And e& Join Forces To Bring Superfast 5G To Egypt

The new vertiport will integrate seamlessly into Dubai’s extensive and increasingly high-tech transport system, providing easy access to the Dubai Metro’s Emirates Station 2, DXB Airport, and additional parking and ground transport options.

The 3,100-square-meter, three-story facility is designed to prioritize passenger convenience and efficient movement, setting a high standard for future air travel hubs. Equipped with two take-off and landing stands, each stand will feature Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS) to enable rapid charging and conditioning of the 200mph air taxis between flights.

The post Joby Begins Construction Of Dubai’s First Vertiport For Air Taxis appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The deal was signed at the recent DRIFTx thought-leadership and exhibition platform and gave Joby exclusive rights to not only operate air taxi services in Dubai but also unlock inter-emirate services between Abu Dhabi.

Joe Ben Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said: “Today’s agreement demonstrates the incredible momentum behind the adoption of clean flight across the UAE. We’re looking forward to delivering a fantastic experience for our future customers in Abu Dhabi and we’re excited to be unlocking the potential for zero-emissions flight between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We’re grateful for the support and collaboration of our governmental partners and the entire ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and we remain deeply impressed by their commitment to building out a world-class aviation ecosystem in the Emirate”.

Joby’s all-electric aircraft went on display for the first time in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina at the DRIFTx event. The air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers and can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour (321 km/h). The zero-emission craft is said to have an extremely low acoustic footprint and can travel a maximum of 100 miles (161 km) on a single charge.

Also Read: Lebanese Newspaper Builds AI President To Beat Political Crisis

Once operational, Joby’s air taxi fleet would enable fast, clean travel across the UAE, with journeys between Abu Dhabi to Dubai taking just 30 minutes compared with two hours by car during peak times.

Joby continues to work closely with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to help the Emirates become a world leader in the introduction of air taxis. Additional testing and analysis will be required before inter-emirate travel becomes a reality, but the cutting-edge technology already appears to have great potential.

The post Joby To Establish All-Electric Air Taxi Ecosystem Across The UAE appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The agreement, formalized at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, grants Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years. The partnership aims to position Dubai as a global leader in swift, environmentally friendly, and noise-conscious air travel using Joby’s groundbreaking technology.

JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and founder of Joby Aviation, commented: “It is an honor to partner with the government of Dubai to demonstrate the value of sustainable air travel to the world. Today’s landmark agreement delivers on all three ingredients required to successfully launch an air taxi service – a definitive path to operations, well-placed infrastructure supported by dedicated partners, and an aircraft with the capacity and range to deliver meaningful journeys”.

Joby has also forged an agreement with Skyports, who are tasked with the design, construction, and management of four initial vertiport sites at Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Downtown.

Joby’s aircraft, unveiled for the first time in the region at the World Governments Summit, is engineered to accommodate a pilot and four passengers, achieving speeds of up to 200 miles per hour for a projected travel time of just 10 minutes from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah, as opposed to the 45 minutes it takes by car.

Also Read: e& To Establish Largest Subsea Cable Connection In UAE

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors for RTA, also released a statement, explaining, “The air taxi service is part of RTA’s efforts to embrace future transportation technologies and offers a novel and efficient mobility option for Dubai’s residents and visitors, enabling fast, safe, and convenient travel to key city spots. This service will also enhance seamless multimodal transportation, improving citywide connectivity and ensuring a smooth travel experience for passengers”.

In the future, RTA, Joby, and Skyports will integrate the service into Dubai’s broader public transportation network. Joby has established a local operating entity to bolster its operations in Dubai and plans to predominantly hire locally for its operational team. Additionally, the company is open to localizing other global business activities in Dubai and the surrounding region.

The post Joby To Launch High-Speed Air Taxi Service In Dubai appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The demonstration, which showed how drones could ease congestion in the busy city, is part of a $15.7 million government pilot project known as the Israel National Drone Initiative (INDI).

The tests began with a half-hour flight of a long-distance Chinese-made electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) drone from Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. The setting for the tests is significant, as the government plans to use the drones for life-saving missions, as well as cargo and passenger purposes.

“What we’re looking at here is how Israel’s National Drone Initiative is expanding its scope to move beyond transporting packages to transporting human beings,” explained Daniella Partem, senior director at the Israel Innovation Authority. “We are looking to improve the economic viability of this model and advance connectivity in urban areas and further afield around the world”.

The air taxi test was performed by Dronery, a subsidiary of the Israeli drone delivery fleet operator Cando Drones. The fully autonomous EH216 aircraft can carry a 250-kilogram payload for 30 kilometers using an intelligent command-and-control system that includes a real-time video feed.

“The possibility of flying the aerial taxi in the early stages within an urban area as complex as the Hadassah Medical Center is a practical realization of the Transportation Ministry’s belief [in smart transportation],” said Cando Drones CEO Yoeli Or. “Cando and Dronery are the first in Israel to bring and fly heavy drones capable of flying significant distances and carrying over 200 kilograms”.

Also Read: Blinx Brings Fresh Storytelling & News To Middle Eastern Youth

During a recent June demonstration, the startup AIR also tested its own all-electric eVTOL, known as AIR ONE. The craft features collapsible wings for easy storage and is marketed as an everyday alternative for short city commutes.

Other Israeli companies involved in the INDI project include Airwayz Drones, a provider of AI-based smart management systems for drone fleets; HighLander, which has developed a traffic management system for drones; and Robotican, a producer of ground and air-based autonomous robotic systems.

The post Air Taxis Fly Over Jerusalem As Israel Creates Airspace Network appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The week-long test flight program was the first of its kind to receive the go-ahead from Saudi officials, and was conducted in collaboration with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

NEOM and Volocopter aim to implement and scale a complete electric UAM ecosystem in the upcoming smart city development as part of their shared vision for a clean, sustainable future.

NEOM CEO, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, said: “The successful test flight of a Volocopter eVTOL is […] another milestone towards creating NEOM’s innovative, sustainable, multimodal transportation system. Driving the development of smart, sustainable, and safe mobility systems will improve livability and connectivity in cities worldwide and reduce carbon emissions, creating a cleaner future for all”.

Meanwhile, Volocopter Chief Commercial, Christian Bauer, was equally enthusiastic about the results of the test flight: “It is beyond exciting to see our work from the past 18 months come to fruition. As the first eVTOL aircraft to ever test in Saudi Arabia, we are proud to have laid the groundwork for our future collaboration here in NEOM”.

Also Read: Dubai Hospital Delivery Drone Completes Successful First Trial

Volocopter’s eVTOLs will be powered by 100% renewable energy from solar and wind sources. The electric craft will also be multi-use, with plans to deploy them as taxis, emergency response vehicles, and more. The electric helicopters should be easily adaptable, cheaper to run than conventional models, and a good deal quieter. Meanwhile, smart and autonomous capabilities ensure high levels of safety in confined cityscapes.

The air taxi test flight announcement comes after NEOM’s EUR 175 million investment into Volocopter, which recently confirmed that its production plant in Bruchsal, Germany, now had the capacity to build over 50 helicopters per year.

The post Saudi Arabia’s First Electric Air Taxi Completes Test Flight appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The photo-realistic depictions give a flavor of what tourists and locals will see as they queue at one of Dubai’s four vertiports before speeding between Downtown Dubai near the Burj Khalifa to Dubai Marina, the International Airport, and Palm Jumeirah.

A Look At Dubai’s First Vertiport

The first vertiport will be located near the Dubai International Airport, with the roof acting as a terminal for the aerial passenger vehicles. Tourists and business fliers will be able to access the vertiport using an air-conditioned bridge connecting the Emirates Metro Station.

Comprising two levels of car parking, the vertiport is revealed as having a futuristic design with accommodation for four taxi stands and two landing areas. As well as a waiting area for passengers, the transport hub will have plenty of electric charging stations and integrate seamlessly with the rest of Dubai’s planned next-generation infrastructure.

The Aircraft

Unveiled at the World Government Summit, the sky taxis are all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles capable of 300 kmph. The craft can whisk four passengers across the city and boast an impressive range of 241 km.

The Red Tape

The RTA is working closely with Dubai Air Navigation Services and the Civil (and General) Aviation Authority to ensure high standards and safety levels for the planned air taxis service.

According to Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, the project consists of two main stages:

“The operation is composed of crucial elements. They include a detailed negotiation with a multitude of companies active in this field, signing of commercial agreements [and the] development of the necessary infrastructure and the highly anticipated roll-out of the service.

“The second stage involves identifying a potential partner for investing in the infrastructure needed to introduce autonomous aerial taxis to Dubai’s skies. At present, commercial negotiations are in progress with the most promising and specialized investors globally in the realm of air mobility to construct the requisite infrastructure,” says Mattar Al Tayer.

The post A First Glimpse Of Dubai’s Air Taxis Flying Past Local Landmarks appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The joint team have agreed to share the responsibilities of planning, development and design and will soon draft a feasibility study after discussions with stakeholders.

“The advanced air mobility system integrates flight technologies with transformational aircraft designs which utilize electric power to hover, take off and land vertically, enabling sustainability in air transport for both passengers and cargo,” says Jamal Al Dhaheri, managing director and chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports.

It’s hoped that eventually, the planned infrastructure and technology will not only drive further improvements to the region’s sustainability credentials, but also improve transport convenience and efficiency through the use of low maintenance high speed air taxis.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia To Build 150,000 EVs Annually By 2026

Groupe ADP and Abu Dhabi Airports aren’t alone in their desire to develop air taxi infrastructure. Many companies worldwide have already begun to explore the regulatory implications of this new type of transport, and major airlines are keen to develop viable battery-powered aircraft designs that can take off and land vertically.

In the future, it looks increasingly likely that our cities will resemble something from a sci-fi movie, with taxis taking off and landing from “vertiports” on building rooftops, helping residents beat traffic queues and get to main transportation hubs on time.

The post Abu Dhabi Airports Exploring Options For Air Taxis appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The company was originally a joint venture involving Boeing, and the now defunct flying taxi startup Kitty Hawk, initially funded by Google co-founder Larry Page. The Wisk plane is currently seeking FAA approval for passenger testing and will be the first ever electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) plane to receive certification.

Wisk’s latest design is unusual, featuring 6 five-bladed front rotors that can be tilted horizontally or vertically and the same arrangement at the rear (albeit two-bladed and fixed vertically). The plane has a cruising speed of 120 knots, combined with a 90-mile (140KM) range, and flies at a low altitude of 2.5 to 4 thousand feet.

So what does the future hold for Wisk’s autonomous air taxi? Eventually, the company hopes that clients will be able to hail the aircraft via a bespoke app, in a similar manner to an Uber. The plane will take off and land vertically, making it perfect for city applications, where it could easily launch and land from the rooftops of high-rise buildings.

Also Read: Airbus Has Revealed Its CityAirbus NextGen Flying Taxi

Weight remains a big issue for electric aircraft, due to the hefty mass of the batteries that need to be carried. Aviation fuel has a far better power-to-weight ratio than even the most modern lithium-ion batteries, so it remains tricky to make aircraft like Wisk’s viable. Wisk Aero has made encouraging progress so far and maintains the ambitious goal of carrying out 14 million taxi journeys in 20 global markets over the next five years.

The post Wisk Aero Unveils Four-Seat Autonomous Air Taxi appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The European multinational aerospace corporation has recently unveiled the new aircraft at its first summit on “Pioneering Sustainable Aerospace”. The CityAirbus NextGen incorporates lessons learned from the design and test operation of the original CityAirbus and the single-seat, tilt-wing Vahana.

It has six electrically powered lifting propellers and two additional electrical propellers on its V-shaped tail for cruise flight, the phase of flight between climb and descent. Airbus claims that it can cover a distance of 80 kilometers (50 miles) at a cruise speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) while carrying up to four passengers. During flight, the aircraft makes less than 65 dB(A) of noise, and the figure increases to just 70 dB(A) during landing.

“The CityAirbus NextGen meets the highest certification standards (EASA SC-VTOL Enhanced Category),” states Airbus in the official press release. “Designed with simplicity in mind, CityAirbus NextGen will offer best-in-class economic performance in operations and support”.

Also Read: Mercedes Concept EQG Electric G-Class Revealed In Munich

Airbus is aware that far more obstacles besides those that can be solved with innovative technology will need to be overcome for the new urban air mobility market to flourish. That’s why the CityAirbus NextGen will initially be piloted by a real human pilot. Once the technology and operational framework for self-flying aircraft are established, Airbus would like the aircraft to operate autonomously.

How long that will take to happen is something even industry experts can’t reliably predict, especially not on a global scale. What’s certain is that flying across major cities won’t be something anyone besides one-percenters will be able to afford for a long time — and maybe never.

The post Airbus Has Revealed Its CityAirbus NextGen Flying Taxi appeared first on Tech Magazine.