UAE: Flying Taxi Services Closer As Archer, Joby Complete First And Longest Piloted Flights

Flying taxi services in the UAE have moved a step closer to reality, as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation successfully completed their first and longest piloted flights.

Joby Aviation signed a definitive agreement with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in February 2024 to launch air taxi services in Dubai by 2026. Meanwhile, Archer Aviation has partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to introduce flying taxi services in Abu Dhabi. Both companies are expected to roll out their services later this year or next year.

On Monday, Archer announced that its Midnight aircraft successfully completed its longest piloted flight to date, covering approximately 55 miles in 31 minutes at speeds exceeding 126mph. The flight took place at Archer's flight test facility in Salinas, California.

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Test flights in the preceding week reached speeds of nearly 150mph over a variety of patterns. This latest achievement advances toward certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US and near-term commercialisation in the UAE.

“Crossing the 50-mile mark at speed is another clear step toward commercialisation that shows the maturity of our programme,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer's founder and CEO.

Midnight flight test pilots will continue to expand speed and duration, and test mission profiles that map to early commercial operations in the UAE.

US-based Archer Aviation last week said it would expand on its in-country operations in the UAE, including pilot training, maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) setup and flight testing to gather additional data for certification and commercialisation plans in the UAE and the US over the coming quarters.

Meanwhile, Joby Aviation said it successfully completed its first piloted flight between two US airports in controlled airspace.

Set to launch its commercial flying taxi service in Dubai in the first half of 2026, Joby's piloted flight lasted approximately 12 minutes over 10 nautical miles. It included five minutes in a holding pattern for air traffic spacing, reflecting the progress the electric air taxi firm is making toward securing approval from the US regulator to launch commercial service.

In February 2024, Joby Aviation signed a definitive agreement with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch air taxi services in 2026. RTA and Joby also partnered with Skyports for the construction of vertiports.

Joby's piloted flight follows a previous successful test flight at its facility at the Dubai Jetman Helipad in Margham, along the Dubai–Al Ain Road, in June 2025. The aircraft completed several loops over the facility and surrounding desert.

The US company operated the flight in airspace controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), between Marina (OAR) and Monterey (MRY) airports in California.

“Successfully flying from Marina to Monterey showcased operations of our aircraft integrated into the broader transportation network and further validated its performance to ensure we're prepared for service on day one,” said Didier Papadopoulos, president of aircraft development and manufacturing at Joby.

“For years, our flight testing has validated our aircraft's capabilities, and we've done this across a wide range of environmental conditions.”

Joby recently began the final assembly of its first aircraft for Type Inspection Authorisation (TIA) flight testing – one of the last major steps in FAA certification. The company plans to begin flight testing with FAA pilots early next year. Following certification, Joby aims to launch commercial service in the US, starting in Los Angeles and New York City.

Dubai will be the first international destination to launch air taxi operations by New York-listed Joby Aviation

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