Checked 12 September 2026

eVTOL air taxis: what flies today and what is next

Only one company we can confirm is selling passenger flights: EHang, in China. Joby in Dubai and Archer in Abu Dhabi are certifying aircraft and building sites, but had not started passenger service when we checked. Every statement below links to its source.

China · Carrying paying passengers

EHang

  1. China's civil aviation authority (CAAC) granted Air Operator Certificates to EHang's Guangzhou subsidiary and its Hefei joint venture, allowing ticketed sightseeing and tourism flights in its EH216-S at their operating sites in Guangzhou and Hefei.

    EHang press release, 30 March 2025

Dubai · Not yet carrying passengers

Joby Aviation

  1. Joby holds a six-year exclusive agreement with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority to operate air taxis in Dubai. Its aircraft carries a pilot and four passengers.

    Joby Aviation press release, 11 February 2024

  2. A vertiport next to Dubai International Airport reached technical completion on 16 April 2026, and the UAE aviation authority said it expected to finish certifying air taxis by the third quarter of 2026.

    The National, 23 April 2026

Abu Dhabi · Not yet carrying passengers

Archer Aviation

  1. Archer's Midnight aircraft first flew in the UAE at Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi, on 2 July 2025, with Abu Dhabi Aviation as its launch partner.

    Archer Aviation press release, 2 July 2025

  2. In May 2026 the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority moved Midnight into its Restricted Type Certificate programme, which allows limited operations before full certification.

    Gulf News, 8 May 2026

Everything else announced

Joby, Archer and others have announced partnerships in other countries. We list a service here once a regulator or the operator confirms passenger flights, or a dated source gives a start date. For the UAE in detail, see Abu Dhabi to Dubai by air taxi: where it stands.

FAQ

What is an eVTOL?+

An electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft: it lifts off and lands like a helicopter but runs on electric motors. The companies building them market them as air taxis for short trips.

Can I book an eVTOL flight today?+

The one service we can confirm is in China: EHang's operators in Guangzhou and Hefei hold certificates, granted in March 2025, to sell sightseeing flights. As of 12 September 2026 we found no announcement that Joby's Dubai service or Archer's Abu Dhabi service had started carrying passengers.

When do air taxis start in Dubai?+

Joby has said commercial service in Dubai will start in 2026, and in April 2026 the UAE aviation authority said it expected to finish certifying air taxis by the third quarter of 2026. No start date or fare had been published when we last checked.

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Checked 12 September 2026 against the sources linked beside each statement. We do not show fares or journey times for services that have not published them.