Dubai is set to launch commercial air taxi services by the end of the year, according to the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
RTA Director General and Chairman Mattar Al Tayer said on Friday that the electric air taxis developed by U.S.-based Joby Aviation are expected to begin carrying passengers before the end of 2026.
The RTA said the air taxis will offer a faster alternative to road travel, particularly during peak hours. Journeys that can take up to 45 minutes by car are expected to be reduced to around 10 minutes by air.
The aircraft are fully electric, produce zero operational emissions, and are designed to operate quietly in densely populated areas.
Each vehicle can carry a pilot and up to four passengers, with ranges of up to 160 kilometres (100 miles) at speeds reaching 320km/h (200mph) on a single charge.
Several purpose-built “vertiports” are under development to support the service. The first is located near Dubai International Airport, with additional sites planned in areas including Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah.
Officials say the air taxis will be integrated into Dubai’s wider public transport network, with passengers able to book flights through digital platforms. Pricing details have not yet been announced, but authorities say the service will be positioned as a premium transport option.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meetin...
The 81st UN General Assembly returns for its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplo...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with th...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
Meta has unveiled a new generation of wearables, including lightweight virtual reality glasses and camera-free smart spectacles, as it pushes AI-powered devices further into the mainstream while seeking to address privacy concerns.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (19 September) the creation of an “AI Force” and plans to appoint an artificial intelligence (AI) czar, while rejecting calls to slow the development of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Google’s Gemini AI model accessed the internet and hacked three companies during a cybersecurity test, in what is believed to be the first known case of the company’s AI systems autonomously carrying out such activity.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into suspected sexual harassment involving smart glasses, amid mounting global concern over the privacy risks posed by the devices.
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