Uber & Joby to Launch All-Electric Air Taxis, Debut in Dubai in Late 2026

Global ride-hailing platform Uber recently announced the introduction of ‘Uber Air’ featuring Joby Aviation’s all-electric air taxi, bookable from the Uber app.

Joby has said that it expects to carry its first passengers later this year in Dubai, with more cities around the world to follow through the Joby-Uber partnership.

A press release also revealed that the riders will simply have to open the Uber app, and if the trip location qualifies, the ‘Uber Air powered by Joby will appear as an option.

According to Joby, its all-electric air taxi is being designed for up to four passengers, featuring large windows for panoramic views. The aircraft uses six tilting propellers to take off vertically before transitioning into forward flight. It can travel at speeds of up to 200 mph, has a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge, and will be operated by a certified commercial pilot.

The company said that the aircraft is engineered with multiple levels of redundancy to enhance safety and designed for urban integration, featuring an acoustic profile that is quiet enough to blend into the ambient sounds of a city’s streets.

For companies to operate commercially in the United States, the country’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires extensive testing and certification. Working towards this, Joby has already completed more than 50,000 miles of flight tests across its fleet and has begun the final stage of this certification process.

Sachin Kansal, Chief Product Officer at Uber, said, “We’ve long believed in the power of advanced air mobility to transform how people move through cities. With Uber Air, riders will be able to book Joby’s electric air taxi through a simple and familiar, one-tap experience on Uber, seamlessly connecting every leg of their journey – making ground-to-sky travel even more effortless.”

“We set out to build a new layer of urban transportation. Our focus has always been on creating a flight experience that operates quietly and integrates naturally into the rhythm of city life. By partnering with Uber, we’re making this new mode of transportation familiar and accessible, connecting the ground and the sky through a system designed to save people time and fit seamlessly into how they already move,” said Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby.

Joby and Uber’s partnership dates back to 2019. In 2021, Joby acquired Uber’s Elevate division, which played a key role in developing the tools required for market selection, demand simulation, and multi-modal operations.

Back in 2025, Uber and Joby announced plans to bring Blade’s commercial helicopter service to the Uber app in 2026, following Joby’s acquisition of Blade’s passenger business. According to the partnership, this will help pave the way for Joby’s electric air taxi service, once approved, to expand to markets around the world, such as Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, and Japan.