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Dubai residents and visitors were able to step up close to the future of urban air travel this week as Joby Aviation brought its electric air taxito Downtown Dubai for a public display aimed to connect with the public ahead of the service’s planned rollout.

The aircraft was set up near Dubai Mall, where members of the public stopped to take photos, ask questions, and learn how the all-electric air taxi would operate once launched in the emirate.

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“This is about letting people see it, touch it, and understand what’s coming,” said Lorcan Lynch, Flight Operations Manager UAE at Joby Aviation. “We want the public to feel familiar with it before they ever book a ride.”

Up close with Dubai’s future air taxi, Joby Aviation showcases its aircraft in Downtown Dubai.

Lynch explained that the aircraft is known as an eVTOL, short for electric vertical takeoff and landing, a category distinct from airplanes and helicopters. The aircraft uses six electric propellers that tilt from vertical to horizontal, allowing it to take off from compact urban locations before transitioning into forward flight.

“It takes off vertically like a helicopter, then after takeoff it shifts into airplane mode, which allows it to fly faster, more efficiently, and over longer distances,” he said. “This is part of what we call advanced air mobility.”

One of the key features highlighted during the display was noise reduction. According to Lynch, the aircraft is barely audible when flying at operational altitude.

“At about 1,000 feet over the city, which is the minimum safe flying height, you will not hear it. You would only know it’s there if you looked up and saw it,” he said.

Joby’s initial network in Dubai will connect four vertiports across the city, including Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina near the American University in Dubai, and Downtown Dubai, where a vertiport is planned on top of a designated parking structure. Lynch said the Dubai International vertiport is nearly complete.

The Downtown display will run until February 5, Thursday night, with Joby staff inviting passersby to interact freely with the aircraft. Visitors were encouraged to take photos using their own phones, with additional professional photos offered on site.

The activation was organised by Nadine Finge, Marketing Manager UAE at Joby Aviation.

Visiting Dubai, fashion and fitness model Kunal Sharma poses beside Joby Aviation’s aircraft

Among those who stopped for photos was fashion and fitness model Kunal Sharma, who has business interests in the UAE and has been visiting the country for over two weeks. “Seeing it in person makes it feel real,” he said.

The public display comes as Dubai continues to advance its air taxi plans. In November 2025, Joby Aviation and Dubai Roads and Transport Authority completed the UAE’s first successful eVTOL test flight. The 17-minute journey from Joby’s test facility in Margham to Al Maktoum International Airport would typically take around 50 minutes by car.

Authorities have previously said that pricing will need to remain affordable and aligned with public transport goals as the service moves closer to commercial launch.

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