How Uber Plans to Launch Electric Air Taxi Flights in 2026

Platform users in Dubai could hail rides on Joby Aviation’s electric air taxi as soon as this year.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Uber users in Dubai could hail flights on Joby Aviation’s electric air taxi as soon as this year. [Credit: Uber]

Key Takeaways:

Uber and Joby Aviation are launching "Uber Air," an on-demand electric air taxi service, with initial operations expected to begin in Dubai later this year.
The service will utilize Joby's quiet, four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, allowing riders to book and manage their entire journey, including ground connections, directly through the Uber app.
This initiative represents a renewed push into aerial ridesharing, building on Uber's previous Elevate project which Joby acquired, and leveraging Joby's ElevateOS platform for streamlined operations.
Joby is pursuing a special qualification program with the UAE's aviation regulator that could allow passenger flights to commence before full FAA certification is obtained.

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Uber as soon as this year will add a quiet, all-electric, aerial complement to its ground-based ride-hailing platform.

Uber and Joby Aviation on Thursday unveiled “Uber Air”—a new, on-demand service using Joby’s four-passenger, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. Joby said it expects to carry its first passengers later this year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the partners shared a first look at Uber Air during a product and flight demonstration.