Flying taxis are coming to cities Here’s what it takes to build for them Byron Tabet Senior Design Manager, GHD C onvenient and environmentally friendly, the Emirates’ most populous city. Once the custom-built vertiport — designed by our world’s first fleet of electric air taxis is set to transform urban mobility in the United Arab team — opens at Dubai International Airport, its two pads will be able to handle 10 landings an hour and transport 170,000 people a year.² The air taxis, or electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, are fast — carrying four passengers at speeds up to 320 kmh (200 mph). They will fly — far more quietly than traditional aircraft — to four locations around the city, producing zero direct emissions.³ The world needs better commuting options. A driver in the United States spends, on average, about 43 hours a year stuck in traffic jams. That’s equivalent to an entire week of work and nearly $800 in lost productivity.⁴ European cities tell a similar story. Drivers in Düsseldorf and Munich are spending 20 percent more time in traffic, while Londoners put up with an average of 101 hours of gridlock a year. Across the United Kingdom more broadly, hours and fuel wasted in traffic jams added up to an estimated 7.7 billion pounds ($10.2 billion) in 2024 alone.⁵ A compelling need to ease urban gridlock
Flying taxis will soon take to the skies over Dubai, transporting passengers between the city’s airport and downtown in as little as 10 minutes. And the fare? Potentially about what you would pay for a premium taxi.¹
Dubai’s planned launch of its air-taxi service in 2026 is just the beginning. More cities are starting to pay attention. Many urban-dwellers around the world may soon be able to enjoy a safe, sustainable and rapid commute high above the noise and gridlock below. From niche idea to fast-growing industry Los Angeles, among the world’s most congested urban areas, is one of a growing number of cities pinning their hopes on innovative transport. It’s racing to roll out air taxis in time for the 2028 Olympics.⁶ With local commuters already spending hours trapped in traffic, officials are hoping a fleet of eVTOL aircraft will help both residents and tourists avoid the roads with quick 10- to 20-minute flights between vertiports located throughout the city — from hubs at SoFi Stadium and LAX to others further afield in Santa Monica and Orange County.⁷
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