UAE flying taxi trials to begin in Al Ain in May 2025

Abu Dhabi-based Falcon Aviation Services is targeting the launch of air taxi services in the UAE from January 1, 2026, said Ramandeep Oberoi, CEO of Falcon Aviation Services.

In March 2024, the US-based electric flying maker Archer Aviation and Falcon Aviation, an aviation services operator in the UAE, signed an agreement to be vertiport infrastructure partners for critical locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Under the partnership, Archer and Falcon Aviation will develop state-of-the-art vertiport infrastructure at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai and the Marina Mall heliport in Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. The two firms will offer passenger service in Archer’s Midnight flying car between these two Falcon vertiports, which will operate almost entirely over water with scenic views of both cities and clock in at as little as 30 minutes from take-off to landing.

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Earlier this month, Archer Aviation announced the launch of the first commercial flying car flight in Abu Dhabi in the first quarter of 2026.

While speaking during the Mebaa 2024 exhibition and conference in Dubai on Tuesday, Oberoi told Khaleej Times that trials of Archer’s flying car Midnight “will start in May 2025 in Al Ain for 3-4 months and then move to Abu Dhabi. Trials will be in hot and dusty conditions. The aircraft is right now being trialled in California.”

Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are aggressively working to introduce this new model of transport which will initially be an experience but will become a necessity in the coming years in order to tackle the growing road traffic congestion.

“Initially, flying taxis will be operated within Abu Dhabi and the aim is to connect Abu Dhabi-Dubai in mid-2026. We have to create a market, connecting Abu Dhabi-Dubai, Dubai-Ras Al Khaimah (For the Wynn Resort project), and then connect Al Ain. We are dealing with road infrastructure which is also very good in the UAE,” said Ramandeep Oberoi.

In terms of recruitment, he said the company has taken a slow structure approach.

“We are not going to hire too many people. Some people will come from the US who are already working on the project. There will be ground operations people to handle vertiports which we already have. Then we have engineering staff. We will add some more,” he said.

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