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        YOUR DAILY DOSE OF SCIENCE                                                                                              9



        DUBAI AIMS TO BEAT THE TRAFFIC WITH


        2026 JOBY AIR TAXI LIFTOFF




        Dubai commuters may      Jumeirah aboard the      In a ceremony attended by   and hopefully people will   company exclusive rights
        soon have a new way to   Joby Aerial Taxi will take   senior government officials,   barely notice it,” Khoury   to operate aerial taxis in
        skip traffic: air taxis.  roughly twelve minutes,   transport executives and   said.                the city for the next six
                                 the company predicts, as   company representatives,                        years.
        Joby Aviation conducted   opposed to 45 minutes by   the experimental aircraft   While eVTOLs such as
        the first test flight of its   car.               executed a vertical takeoff,   Joby’s have been hailed   The company plans to
        fully-electric air taxi in                        flew for several miles, and   as the future of urban   inaugurate the emirate’s
        the emirate this week, a   While Joby’s long-term   then returned for a vertical   air the industry still faces   commercial air-taxi service
        major milestone in the   ambition is to make its   landing.                major hurdles -- including   in 2026, with four initial
        city’s efforts to integrate   aerial taxis “affordable for                 securing regulatory      vertiports located at Dubai
        airborne transport into   everybody to use,” Khoury   The Joby Aerial Taxi, the   approval and developing   International Airport (DXB),
        existing mobility networks   says, they acknowledge   flagship electric vertical   sufficient vertiport   Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
        as early as next year.   early pricing will likely   take-off and landing   infrastructure.         Downtown and Dubai
                                 target higher-income     (eVTOL) aircraft developed                        Marina.
        Joby hopes its air-taxis will   travelers. “As with any   by the California-based   Morgan Stanley
        ease pressure on existing   novel technology, early   company, can fly distances   downgraded Joby’s stock   “In aviation, you don’t see
        ground transportation    days might be a bit more   of up to 160 kilometers (100   price target from $10   transformations like this,”
        and offer travelers a faster   premium.”          miles) at speeds reaching   to $7 in April, flagging   said Didier Papadopoulos,
        alternative as Dubai faces                        320km/hr (200mph).       near-term execution risks   Joby’s President of Original
        increasing congestion.   The demonstration flight                          and broader aerospace    Equipment Manufacturing.
                                 was held on Monday at    Fully electric, with zero   industry concerns, including
        “We want to change the   an isolated desert site   operating emissions, Joby’s   tariffs and supply-chain   “Every once in a while, you
        way people commute,”     southeast of Dubai’s     air-taxi is designed to be   issues. Joby is currently   have this propulsive move
        Anthony Khoury, Joby’s   downtown and was         both eco-friendly and quiet   trading at $10.55.  into the future. What you’re
        UAE General Manager,     designed to emulate a    enough for commercial use                         witnessing here is really
        said.                    typical aerial taxi journey,   in dense urban areas.  In early 2024, Joby   exciting, and I’m excited for
                                 according to Joby Aviation                        signed a contract with   you to be riding this one
        A journey from Dubai’s   officials.               “It will be flying in the city,   Dubai’s Roads and Transit   point in the future.”
        main airport DXB to Palm                          next to residential areas,   Authority that awarded the
























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