Air Taxis Taking Flight in Dubai this Year

In February of this year,听announced they would be launching 鈥淯ber Air powered by Joby鈥� later this year in Dubai. Joby is positioning this service as the ability to book an all-electric air taxi directly in the Uber app, just as one would order a car today. Meanwhile in聽took effect on July 1, paving the way for publicly funded vertiport development and signaling the state’s commitment to advanced air mobility. These announcements are just two in a flurry of recent news about Advanced Air Mobility.

While air taxis may sound futuristic, the concept isn’t entirely new. Similar services operated in major cities during the 1950s through the 1970s, although today’s aircraft are dramatically different in both technology and design. In this blog post, we are breaking down some of these new terms and examining how these technologies might affect the future of luxury travel.

What exactly is Advanced Air Mobility?

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is a new sector of aviation designed to transport passengers and cargo using new types of aircraft, including electric air taxis for short-distance journeys, such as city centers to airports.

These 鈥渁ir taxis鈥� combine elements of helicopters and airplanes and are often called eVTOLs (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft). Like a helicopter, they can take off and land vertically without a runway. Once airborne, many of these aircraft transition into winged flight, allowing them to travel more efficiently and quietly than traditional helicopters. They are electrically powered and are designed to produce significantly less noise, fewer emissions, and lower operating costs than conventional helicopters.

Airports for these types of aircrafts are called vertiports. These are much smaller than traditional airports and are ideally intended to be integrated into high-traffic areas, such as marinas, stadiums, city centers, hospitals, and more. Rather than requiring entirely new airports, many developers envision adapting existing helicopter facilities into vertiports, reducing both cost and construction time. Florida’s recent legislation is intended to support this type of infrastructure development.

How is this different from existing services like BLADE, which offer short flights from NYC to the Hamptons and to and from airports?

The primary difference is the type of aircraft. BLADE use conventional helicopters and sometimes sea planes. Air taxi companies like Joby, Archer Aviation, and Eve Air Mobility are developing quieter, all-electric aircraft designed specifically for frequent urban passenger flights. One of the major advantages of eVTOL technology is its potential to reduce operating costs over time, making short-distance air travel more accessible than traditional helicopter services.

What might booking an air taxi look like in practice?

Joby has marketed the service as very similar to ordering an Uber ride today. Passengers would use the Uber app to book a flight on short notice; the service would then send ground transportation to the rider’s current location and transport them to the vertiport. From there, the passenger would check-in (without the hassle of traditional airport security), and then arrive at their destination in a matter of minutes.

While Dubai is expected to be among the first cities to launch commercial air taxi service, widespread adoption in the US and the UK will likely take longer as regulators continue to certify aircraft and develop the framework for these types of commercial operations.

What does this mean for the future of luxury travel?

For travelers accustomed to private aviation, Advanced Air Mobility has the potential to transform the “last mile” of a journey.听For example, busy families could land at a major airport and then take an air taxi directly to a city centre, marina, or luxury resort, bypassing the road traffic that often adds significant time to the journey.听While that kind of convenience may still be several years away in many countries, we look forward to seeing Joby’s rollout in Dubai and are curious to watch how similar services develop across the US, Europe, and the UK.

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In the past, there were two main types of air travel: commercial and private. In the past few years, a new sector of 鈥渟emi-private鈥� flights has emerged and is gaining traction. In this post, we break down what this means exactly and what the benefits and drawbacks of traveling this way are.

What are semi-private flights?

There are many different ways these companies are structured behind-the-scenes but essentially, a semi-private flight is a private aircraft where individuals can purchase single seats.听The operating cost of the flight is shared among the travelers.听Travelers enjoy many of the perks of traveling on a private jet but for a lower cost than chartering an entire jet. Some companies allow you to book聽脿 la carte聽like you would a commercial plane ticket, while others require membership fees.

What are the benefits of semi-private flights?

Travelers enjoy many of the same benefits they would if they chartered their own jet: bypassing typical airport security, the ability to arrive closer to departure, access to smaller airports, spacious seating, and premium amenities. It is more cost-effective than chartering an entire jet, and depending on the route, can sometimes be less expensive than a business or first-class seat on a commercial plane.听Semi-private flights offer more privacy than commercial air travel because there are far fewer people aboard (typically 7鈥�14 guests).听Most semi-private flights also allow pets to travel in the cabin with the guests.

What are the drawbacks?

The biggest drawback compared to private travel is privacy. Although smaller than a commercial flight, you are still traveling with a limited number of strangers.听Another drawback is the limited number of routes and schedules compared to commercial airlines, as well as less flexibility than fully private charter.

What companies offer semi-private flights?

Many operators offer this now; the main ones are聽,听,听,听,听听补苍诲听.

Who are semi-private flights right for?

With the recent increase in airport delays, cancellations, and hassles, more and more individuals who previously flew commercial are choosing semi-private. They are better for those looking for more certainty (although, of course, these can still be cancelled for weather reasons, they are rarely delayed), for those traveling with pets or small children, and for frequent fliers who are looking for a luxury experience without the headache of major airport security. Some travelers who traditionally fly private are choosing semi-private when flying alone, either for cost-cutting or for sustainability reasons. Many families who fly privately may fly their staff semi-private when they鈥檙e not traveling together; this allows the staff to arrive at the smaller, often closer, airport and not waste hours on airport security.

How much do semi-private flights cost?

Prices vary wildly depending on route and operator. JSX offers short flights (Burbank to Napa, for example) for as low as $249. New York to Miami is currently around $700. Other operators offer flights for $1500+. Membership fees may also apply, depending on the provider.

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NetJets might be the most well-known company in this space, likely because it is the oldest and largest private jet company in the world. Despite being the oldest in the industry, the company continually updates their fleet with new aircrafts, as well as the latest technology and amenities. They offer several different membership levels, including a shared ownership program, a leasing option, and a private jet card. There are choices for those that travel under 25 hours per year and want minimal commitment, as well as for those who travel extensively and want to be able to book with a few hours’ notice.

Like NetJets, FlexJet offers many structures, including fractional ownership, leasing, and jet cards, but one thing that makes FlexJet quite special is their聽. The company allows for day-by-day rentals of these long-haul aircrafts, making multi-stop trips to Europe or Asia seamless. You’ll have the same aircraft during stopovers so you can expect to be able to leave items on the plane while making stops and to have the same crew for whole duration. The longer the trip, the greater savings you will see for these programs.听


聽is a an excellent choice for those looking to make last-minute plans and those who value increased flexibility. The service offers聽instant digital booking via their app and flexible cancellation policies for members. You can choose between becoming a member for lower rates across the board or pay-as-you-go and easily search and book private flights at the higher non-member rates.听


While you might be familiar with聽聽– they handle scheduled, shared, and private charters from NYC to Southampton, East Hampton, Montauk, Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, and Fire Island – they also offer flights to many other destinations. They offer a max. 16-person flight on a commercial-sized plane between聽聽including dining and caviar service onboard. They also offer special flights between NYC and Philadelphia on聽MLB, NFL, and NBA game days, including complimentary ground transportation to and from the game.听And for those of us who hate airport traffic, Blade offers聽.听


Villiers compiles private jet data to allow access to 10,000聽private aircrafts聽across 40,000 destinations worldwide. While they don’t own their own aircraft or have the same type of programs as the other companies, they are a good resource to have on your radar if you’re ever in a pinch. They also allow for single seat sales on private charters so travelers can sell seats on their private flight or purchase a single seat on someone else’s.

If you require assistance with private aviation, get in touch with us.听

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