Anthony El-Khoury & Joby Aviation Complete World's First Commercial Air Taxi Vertiport in Dubai

In a defining moment for urban air mobility, Joby Aviation has completed construction of the world's first purpose-built commercial air taxi vertiport. The facility sits adjacent to Dubai International Airport (DXB) — and it is now ready to receive aircraft.

The milestone was marked this week by a site visit from HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, who toured the completed structure alongside Joby leadership and partners from Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Skyports Infrastructure.

Leading the program on the ground is Anthony El-Khoury, Joby's UAE General Manager. As El-Khoury put it during the visit: "The world doesn't stop moving forward — and neither do we. We are here. We are building. This is just the beginning."

The Numbers Behind the Vertiport

This isn't a small demonstrator pad. It's full commercial infrastructure built to airline-grade standards:

• Four stories of integrated passenger and operations space
• Two landing pads for simultaneous arrivals and departures
• 170,000 passengers per year designed throughput capacity
• Co-located with Dubai International Airport (DXB) — one of the world's busiest airline hubs
• Built in partnership with Skyports Infrastructure, the leading global vertiport developer

For context, 170,000 passengers per year through a single vertiport is roughly the throughput of a small regional airport — handled by a building you could fit on a city block.

Why Dubai? Why Now?

Dubai's RTA awarded Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxis in the emirate, and the partnership has moved at a pace unmatched anywhere else in the world. The combination of:

• Government willingness to build infrastructure ahead of demand
• A regulatory environment that treats eVTOL as priority transportation infrastructure
• Tourism and business travel volumes that justify premium-priced air taxi service
• Strong existing airport-to-city traffic congestion that air taxis can solve

…has made Dubai the natural launching point for commercial eVTOL service worldwide. Our Dubai air taxi guide breaks down the route economics in more detail.

The Anthony El-Khoury Story

Anthony El-Khoury has become the face of Joby's UAE rollout. As General Manager, he's responsible for everything from vertiport site selection to operator licensing to passenger-facing service design. His background in aviation operations and his on-the-ground leadership through the Dubai build have made him one of the most-watched executives in the industry.

His comment that "the world doesn't stop moving forward and neither do we" captures the operating philosophy that has made Joby the first to a commercial vertiport. While many eVTOL companies have spent years on certification paperwork, Joby chose to certify aircraft and build infrastructure in parallel — a bet that has now paid off.

What This Means for Commercial Launch

A completed vertiport changes the math on launch timelines. Until this week, "Dubai 2026" was a date on a roadmap. With the building physically standing, with HH Sheikh Hamdan touring it, and with two landing pads ready to receive aircraft, the runway to first commercial flight is now measured in weeks of operational readiness — not years of construction.

Joby's S4 aircraft is in advanced certification testing. The Dubai operating model is approved by the RTA. The vertiport is built. What's left is type certification finalization, crew training completion, and the first paying passenger flight.

Our waitlist for Dubai air taxi service is the most direct way to be in line for those first flights.

How Skyports Made It Happen

Skyports Infrastructure deserves significant credit. As the global leader in vertiport design and construction, the company has translated abstract eVTOL operational requirements into a real, four-story building that can pass airline-grade safety, security, and passenger-handling audits. Skyports' work in Dubai is now the reference design that other cities — including planned Los Angeles and Tokyo facilities — are studying.

What Comes Next

With the vertiport complete, attention shifts to:

1. Aircraft delivery and handover — Joby will position production S4 aircraft at the Dubai vertiport
2. Pilot and ground crew certification — RTA-approved training programs are already in progress
3. Soft-launch operations — Limited initial routes, likely DXB to Downtown Dubai and DXB to Palm Jumeirah
4. Public booking — Pricing and booking are expected to open to the public in coming months

For the broader industry, the Dubai vertiport is a proof point that the eVTOL launch story is not theoretical. It is happening. The first city is real. The first building is real. And as Anthony El-Khoury's team has shown, the rollout is no longer about whether — only about how fast.

How to Stay Ahead

Reserve your spot on the first commercial air taxi flights. Track every major milestone across the industry on our companies page, and explore popular Dubai routes to see what your first flight could look like.