Dubai has become home to the world’s first commercially ready vertiport, with the Roads and Transport Authority and Skyports Infrastructure announcing the technical completion of the facility adjacent to Dubai International Airport. The structure spans four floors across 3,100 square metres, integrating a passenger terminal and central flight operations centre under a single roof, with two dedicated take-off and landing areas.

The vertiport is equipped with Joby Aviation’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System, the first fast-charging infrastructure of its kind to be installed at any commercial vertiport. The facility has been designed to accommodate up to 170,000 passengers and 42,000 aircraft movements annually. It also maintains the capability to handle conventional helicopter traffic under a hybrid regulatory framework developed in partnership with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, adding operational flexibility during the transition period ahead of full eVTOL commercial deployment.

Joby Aviation holds the exclusive rights to operate air taxi services in Dubai for a six-year period and is pursuing concurrent type certification with both the FAA and UAE authorities. Commercial operations are anticipated by end of 2026. The vertiport serves as the primary node in a wider network under development, with construction underway at Dubai Marina and planned at Dubai Mall and Palm Jumeirah.

Passenger-facing features include a digital booking application, automated check-in and streamlined boarding flows designed to minimise turnaround time from arrival to departure.

For the aviation and urban planning sectors, Dubai’s vertiport represents the first proof of permanent, purpose-built advanced air mobility infrastructure — shifting the conversation from regulatory readiness to operational execution and network design.