Uber announced that a new flying taxi service would launch in 2026 ast year. It was confirmed to be a partnership with Joby Aviation, a US-based aviation company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Now, Uber has an update confirming that its flying taxi service is on schedule.
Flying Uber's debut
Yesterday, Uber announced that the new Uber Air service is coming soon. You can now book Joby Aviation air taxis via the Uber app, with the service starting in Dubai "later this year". As a reminder, Joby Aviation's air taxis are all-electric VTOL aircraft. This makes them extremely premium transport vehicles, but they would get you to your destination much faster.
According to the company, Uber Air supports one-tap booking for air taxis. Each air taxi can sit up to four passengers and provide comfortable seats, plus large windows for you to enjoy panoramic city views. They will be flown by certified commercial pilots and come with "multiple levels of redundancies" for enhanced safety.
Dubai as the first test market?
Speaking of certification, Joby Aviation has completed over 80467KM of flight tests and is in the last stage of its certification process with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Uber also confirms that once certifications and approvals have been received, Uber Air will expand to Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
Honestly, a flying taxi sounds too luxurious, so I won't book one even if Uber were still in Malaysia. But what do you think, would you give it a try? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.
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