01 December 2025

Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has unveiled the first vertiport network to support the launch of advanced air mobility across the emirate. Under this, more than 10 vertiports will be built and integrated into the emirate’s wider transport system.

According to ADIO, Zayed International Airport and Al Bateen Executive Airport will be the key locations within the broader network, with further sites and intercity routes to be announced in subsequent phases.

The planned vertiport infrastructure will enable electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to operate efficiently across strategic locations in Abu Dhabi.

This big Abu Dhabi infrastructure push comes even as Dubai is readying the layout for its first eVTOL aerial taxi vertiport network to usher in a new era of advanced air mobility.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said 60 per cent of the work has been completed on its debut vertiport project. Spanning 3,100 sq m across four floors, it includes two levels for vehicle parking, take-off and landing pads, designated areas for aerial taxi parking and charging, and fully air-conditioned passenger facilities.

The vertiport is estimated to handle 42,000 aerial taxi landings annually, serving around 170,000 passengers.

These vehicles will operate in partnership with US-based Joby Aviation, the developer of the electric aerial taxi, while Skyports Infrastructure, a UK-based company specialising in advanced aerial mobility infrastructure development, is responsible for the vertiport design, construction, and operations.

RTA will be responsible for the governance of the operation, ensuring integration with other transportation modes. As per the timeline, the aerial taxi service is expected to launch in 2026.

Meanwhile, RTA said, it has, in collaboration with Joby Aviation, completed the operation of first crewed eVTOL aerial taxi flight between two distinct locations in the UAE. 

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