Plans for Dubai‘s first flying taxi station, a futuristic public transport system, have been approved by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The plans by Skyports Infrastructure for the technical design of the Dubai International Vertiport (DXV) were approved on Thursday (9 January).
Adjacent to Dubai International Airport, the Dubai International Vertiport will be the first of four initial Skyports vertiports in Dubai. It will also be the first commercial vertiport in the UAE.
Ground was broken on the vertiport in late 2024, with commercial air taxi operations scheduled to start in 2026.
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA, said the approval “advances the UAE’s leadership in adopting innovative aviation solutions”.
The project, he added, “exemplifies our commitment to creating safe, secure and future-ready infrastructure”.
“The GCAA is proud to play a central role in enabling transformative projects that will redefine urban mobility and set global benchmarks for integrating emerging aviation technologies,” he said.
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, said: “What we’re undertaking in Dubai – and driving in other regions – completely reimagines the way people travel around cities and between regions.
“This is all made possible through the development of new regulatory frameworks and guidelines, which ensure a compliant, safe, and scalable approach to aviation infrastructure.”
Attractions could benefit from flying taxis
He added: “Today, with the GCAA, we’ve reached a key milestone for our flagship DXV facility, bringing us ever closer to launching commercial air taxi operations.”
Dubai is home to many theme parks and attractions, including Global Village, Motiongate Dubai, Legoland Dubai, Atlantis Aquaventure, and IMG Worlds of Adventure.
The wider UAE, Abu Dhabi in particular, features world-class theme parks like Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World, and SeaWorld.
With flying taxis on the horizon, attractions operators may start looking to invest in the transport solution to attract more guests in convenient ways.
Images courtesy of Skyports
