Skyports granted approval from GCAA for technical design of its UAE vertiport
January 9, 2025
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has granted technical design approval for Skyports’ first commercial vertiport in the UAE.
With commercial air taxi operations slated to begin in 2026, Dubai International Vertiport (DXV) is the first of four planned Skyports vertiports in Dubai to receive design acceptance from the GCAA. The vertiport is located close to Dubai International Airport (DXB) and is the first facility to be granted design approval under the newly established UAE Vertiport Regulations. The other three vertiports are expected to be located at Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina.
RTA and Joby collaboration
Skyports is collaborating with Dubai Roads and Transportation Authority (RTA) and Joby Aviation on its UAE vertiport network. Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports commented that what the vertiport developer is undertaking in Dubai and elsewhere “reimagines the way people travel around cities and between regions.” He credited new regulatory frameworks and guidelines for “making this key milestone for [the] flagship DXV facility possible.”
Designed to match the architecture of the Dubai Metro and other public transport infrastructure, the facility will have three-storeys and cover 3,100 sq.m. The vertiport is expected to feature two landing areas to facilitate eVTOL and conventional helicopter operations, as well as fast charging technology to recharge up to 10 aircraft an hour between flights. With the capacity to support up to 170,000 passengers per year, it will also provide amenities such as electronic check-in, security screening, a departure lounge and briefing areas.
Safe, secure operations
The GCAA’s regulatory framework provides assurance that proposed aviation infrastructure will comply with the safe implementation of vertiport infrastructure. The design approval process involves a thorough assessment of critical factors, including physical dimensions, layout, airspace considerations, obstacle environment and Rescue and Fire Fighting Services.
According to H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA, “the approval of the DXV Vertiport design advances the UAE’s leadership in adopting innovative aviation solutions.” This project, he added, “exemplifies our commitment to creating safe secure and future ready infrastructure. The GCAA is proud to play a central role in enabling transformative projects, that will redefine urban mobility and set global benchmarks for integrating emerging aviation technologies.”
Joby Aviation soaring stock price
While many of its competitors are facing financial woes and uncertainty over their future, Joby Aviation, which was founded in 2009 by entrepreneur JoeBen Bevirt, is currently flying high. Its stock price closed at US$10.27 on Monday building on the company’s 63% increase in share prices over the past year.
The eVTOL developer recently announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had completed the static load testing of its tail structure, a crucial step in the certification process. It is aiming to gain final FAA approvals in 2026 if not later this year.
Joby’s eVTOL aircraft are designed to travel more than 100 miles with a single charge carrying a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Alongside Skyports and Dubai’s RTA, Joby Aviation also has notable partnerships in place with Delta Air Lines, Toyota Motor Corporation and Uber Technologies.
