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:

Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation have signed significant agreements with Abu Dhabi government agencies to launch eVTOL air taxi services in the Emirate as early as 2025, building on previous UAE expansion plans.
Archer's framework agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) includes hundreds of millions of dollars in investments to commercialize its Midnight air taxi, establish manufacturing, pilot training, vertiports, and an international headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Joby Aviation signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with multiple Abu Dhabi departments to introduce its air taxi services, complementing its existing exclusive operating rights in Dubai.
Both companies are partnering with Abu Dhabi entities, including through the SAVI cluster, to build the necessary infrastructure and ecosystem for eVTOL operations, emphasizing in-country investment and local talent development.

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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.