Uber has announced the introduction of Uber Air powered by Joby, allowing riders to book Joby Aviation’s all-electric aerial taxis directly through the Uber app.
The service is being launched in collaboration with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), with Joby expecting to carry its first passengers in Dubai later this year.
The move marks a milestone in the partnership between Joby and Uber, which the two companies say is aimed at bringing multi-modal transportation to cities across the world.
How to book a Joby air taxi on Uber: Everything you need to know
Riders will open the Uber app, enter their destination in the “Where to?” bar, and, if their journey qualifies, Uber Air powered by Joby will appear as an option. A single tap will book every leg of the trip, including Uber Black pickup and drop-off at either end of the flight.
The aircraft has been designed to carry up to four passengers and features seating with panoramic views from every seat. Each flight is operated by a certified commercial pilot.
Joby’s aircraft uses six tilting propellers to take off vertically before transitioning into forward flight – a configuration known as a tilting-rotor design. The aircraft can travel at speeds of up to 200 mph and has a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge.
The aircraft has been engineered with multiple levels of redundancy and carries an acoustic profile described as being quiet enough to blend into the ambient sounds of city streets, a feature seen as central to its viability in urban environments.
Before Joby can operate commercially in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires the completion of extensive testing and certification. Joby has logged more than 50,000 miles of flight tests across its fleet and has entered the final stage of the FAA certification process.
Uber, Joby Aviation bring urban air mobility to Dubai with RTA Partnership
The company has not confirmed a date for the launch of US commercial operations, but the progress in certification reflects what both Joby and Uber describe as a safety-focused approach to bringing the service to market.
Joby and Uber have been working together on urban air mobility since 2019. In 2021, Joby acquired Uber’s Elevate division, which had played a role in establishing the urban air mobility sector and developing tools for market selection, demand modelling and multi-modal operations.
Last year, Uber and Joby announced plans to bring Blade’s helicopter service to the Uber app in 2026, following Joby’s acquisition of Blade’s passenger business. The partnership is intended to lay the groundwork for Joby’s electric aerial taxi service to expand globally, once regulatory approvals are in place.
Beyond Dubai, Joby and Uber have identified a series of markets for expansion. These include New York, Los Angeles, the United Kingdom and Japan, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals in each territory.
