Air Taxi Manufacturers Archer, Joby Set Sights on Abu Dhabi

Both companies are working with Abu Dhabi government agencies to build ecosystems in the city for their respective aircraft.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 01:57 PM ET

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Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt (from left), Archer CEO Adam Goldstein, and Aqeel Ahmed Al Zarouni, assistant director general for aviation safety affairs at the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), speak on a panel at DriftX in Abu Dhabi. [Courtesy: Jack Daleo/FLYING]

Key Takeaways:

Leading eVTOL companies Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation have signed significant agreements with Abu Dhabi government agencies at the DriftX conference, aiming to launch air taxi services in the Emirate as early as 2025.
Archer's framework agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) includes hundreds of millions in investments for commercialization, in-country manufacturing, pilot training, vertiport development, and establishing an international headquarters.
Joby's multilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) with several Abu Dhabi departments focuses on establishing air taxi services within the Emirate and potentially connecting it with Dubai, where Joby already holds an exclusive operating agreement.
These partnerships underscore Abu Dhabi's strategic initiative to become a hub for advanced urban air mobility, with both companies emphasizing the necessity of local ecosystem development and strong collaborations.

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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates—Two titans in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi industry are building on their previously announced plans to serve the United Arab Emirates.

At the inaugural DriftX conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, both headquartered in California, signed agreements with Abu Dhabi government agencies to introduce their respective air taxis in the Emirate.