Uber and Joby Aviation are moving closer to commercial urban air mobility, unveiling plans to integrate all-electric air taxi services directly into the Uber app, with Dubai set to become the first launch market.
Branded as Uber Air powered by Joby, the service will allow riders to book short-haul aerial journeys much like they would request a car. The companies expect Joby to begin carrying its first passengers in Dubai later this year, marking a significant milestone in a partnership that dates back to 2019, when Uber first began exploring advanced air mobility through its Elevate division.
A One-Tap Flight Experience
The booking process is designed to feel familiar. Riders will open the Uber app, enter their destination, and if eligible, see Uber Air powered by Joby appear as an option. With a single tap, the app will coordinate the full itinerary, including Uber Black ground transportation to and from designated vertiports.
“We’ve long believed in the power of advanced air mobility to transform how people move through cities,” said Sachin Kansal, Chief Product Officer at Uber. “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.”
Joby’s aircraft is a piloted, all-electric eVTOL designed to carry up to four passengers. It uses six tilting propellers to take off vertically before transitioning into forward flight. The aircraft can reach speeds of up to 200 mph and travel as far as 100 miles on a single charge. Large panoramic windows and what the companies describe as comfortable seating aim to position the experience closer to premium aviation than a traditional helicopter ride.
“We set out to build a new layer of urban transportation,” said Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby. “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.”
Dubai as the First Testbed
Dubai’s government has actively supported advanced air mobility projects, making it a strategic choice for the debut. Planned routes are expected to link Dubai International Airport with key destinations such as Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai. A trip that could take 45 minutes by car may be reduced to roughly 12 minutes by air.
Infrastructure development is already underway, including construction of vertiports and the expansion of automated ground coordination systems. However, regulatory approval remains a critical hurdle, particularly for expansion into the United States and other markets.
Joby has logged more than 50,000 miles of flight tests and has entered the final stage of the Federal Aviation Administration’s certification process in the U.S. Similar approvals will be required in other countries before large-scale commercial operations can begin.
From Concept to Commercial Reality
The partnership reflects Uber’s strategic pivot away from building aircraft itself and toward leveraging its global customer platform and demand network. In 2021, Joby acquired Uber’s Elevate division, consolidating expertise in market simulation, infrastructure planning and multimodal integration.
If successful, the Dubai launch could serve as a blueprint for future deployments in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London and Tokyo. Pricing details have not yet been disclosed, but the companies suggest the service will initially target time-sensitive travelers seeking premium, faster connections.
Urban air mobility has long been framed as a futuristic concept. With aircraft nearing certification and infrastructure under construction, Uber and Joby are positioning electric vertical flight not as a novelty, but as a new layer in everyday city transportation.
