Uber previews its Dubai air taxi service
Source: Engadget
Uber is one step closer to going airborne. On Wednesday, the company previewed its air‑taxi booking service ahead of an expected launch in Dubai later this year. The inaugural Uber Air program will let travelers book Joby Aviation’s electric air taxis through a familiar process in the Uber app.
Booking Experience
The experience of booking an air taxi will be much like reserving a four‑wheeled Uber. After entering a destination, Uber Air will appear as an option for eligible routes. The app will simultaneously:
- Book a flight on a Joby air taxi.
- Schedule an Uber Black to pick you up and drop you off at a Joby “vertiport.”
The process is designed to feel instantly familiar to existing Uber users.
Joby Air Taxi Details
- Capacity: Up to four passengers plus luggage.
- Interior: Roughly the size of an SUV, featuring comfortable seating and panoramic windows.
- Performance: Up to 200 mph cruise speed, with a range of about 100 miles.
- Safety: Equipped with four battery packs and a triple‑redundant flight computer.
- Piloting: Not autonomous; a human pilot will be on board during these early stages.
“The interior is about the size of an SUV and has comfortable seating with panoramic windows.” – Uber
Launch Plans
- Dubai: First market, with service expected later this year.
- United States: Joby is in the final stage of FAA type certification and hopes to launch in New York and Los Angeles.
- International: Targets include the United Kingdom and Japan.
Criticism and Safety Concerns
Aviation experts have voiced skepticism about near‑term U.S. deployment:
“They’re dangerous. We have had helicopters fail and crash on top of buildings in Los Angeles… They’re dangerous not from a fire point of view but in terms of landing on top of people and buildings.” – Robert Ditchey, test pilot (NBC News, November)
Ditchey also warned that air‑taxi services may not be economically viable without government subsidies.
Partnership History
- 2019: Uber and Joby began collaborating on air‑taxi concepts.
- 2021: Joby acquired Uber Elevate, integrating the two services.
- 2022: Joby purchased Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business, potentially paving the way for electrifying Blade’s routes.
Video Demonstration
A video released by Uber shows one of Joby’s air taxis taking a test flight in Dubai.
This article originally appeared on Engadget.
Read the original article