Joby Aviation: eVTOL success in UAE may drive mass adoption 

The UAE is pushing for leadership in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Following numerous, mostly successful demonstrations of the technology at the country’s inaugural eVTOL and autonomous mobility event, DriftX 2024, a series of agreements, partnerships, and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were established between key government agencies and some of the largest players in the eVTOL space. These include Archer Aviation, Vspace, and Joby Aviation.  

During the event, it was announced that Archer Aviation had signed a framework agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to accelerate commercial air taxi operations in the UAE, slated to launch as early as 2025. The first commercial vertiport—the landing station used by eVTOL craft—will also be completed the same year. However, other players are vying for a role in the country’s nascent air taxi market. Some, like Joby Aviation, are also making headway with government agencies. Over the course of the two-day expo, a multilateral agreement between Joby Aviation and three Abu Dhabi government departments was signed, identifying support for establishing and bringing the OEM’s air taxi service to scale not only in Abu Dhabi but throughout the UAE.