Topic / Subject

Uber and Joby are rolling out an “Uber Air powered by Joby” preview in Dubai, showing how air-taxi booking will live inside the Uber app ahead of first passenger flights later this year.

TL;DR

Uber wants air taxis to feel like a normal ride option: tap in-app, fly with a pilot, and pair it with Uber Black for the ground legs, starting with a Dubai preview.

Key Details

Uber and Joby announced “Uber Air powered by Joby,” a preview experience for booking Joby’s all-electric air taxi inside the Uber app in Dubai. The companies say qualifying trips will show an Uber Air option inside the “Where to?” flow, with Uber Black handling pickup and drop-off for ground legs. Joby says it expects to carry its first passengers later this year in Dubai. The aircraft is described as all-electric, designed for up to four passengers plus a certified commercial pilot, with vertical takeoff using six tilting propellers.

Breakdown

The big move here isn’t just the aircraft—it’s the interface. Uber is betting that if “air taxi” shows up like any other ride option, people will treat it like a premium convenience, not a sci-fi stunt.

Dubai is the perfect demo city for this: high visibility, big “future tech” energy, and a track record of pushing headline transportation projects.

The missing pieces are the ones that always matter: pricing, how many routes actually qualify, and how fast this expands beyond one market.

What to Watch Next

Public pricing and how “qualified trips” are defined in the app. How quickly the Dubai rollout scales after the preview phase. Signals about expansion markets and regulatory timelines elsewhere.

Sources

Business Wire — “Get Ready for Takeoff With Uber and Joby”

The Verge — “Uber adds air taxis to its app ahead of Dubai launch”

Joby Aviation — “Get ready for takeoff with Uber and Joby”

Comment

If this showed up in your Uber app tomorrow, what would you pay extra for a 10–15 minute skyline flight?