The future of urban travel is about to take off — literally. Uber Air, in partnership with Joby Aviation, is set to launch its first all-electric air taxis this year, letting riders skip traffic and soar above the city with just a few taps in the Uber app. From booking your first flight to experiencing panoramic views from a sleek aircraft, this is the moment the sci-fi dream of flying taxis becomes a real, bookable ride. Read on to discover exactly how the booking process works, which cities are clearing for takeoff first, and what it’s actually like to soar over traffic in the future of transportation.
What to expect from Uber Air powered by Joby
After years of quiet testing, the era of the urban air taxi has finally arrived. On Wednesday, Uber and Joby Aviation reached a historic milestone by announcing the commercial launch of their integrated air taxi service, set to debut later this year.
How to book a flight
Booking a flight is designed to be as intuitive as summoning a car. When a user enters their destination into the “Where to?” bar in the Uber app, the system will automatically determine if the route is eligible for a flight. If it is, “Uber Air powered by Joby” will appear as a premium travel option.
With a single tap, the platform coordinates the entire multi-modal journey:
- An Uber Black picks you up and whisks you to the takeoff site.
- You board a Joby aircraft for a high-speed aerial transit.
- Another Uber Black awaits at the landing pad to deliver you to your final stop.
Inside the Joby aircraft
Designed for efficiency and elegance, Joby’s all-electric taxi accommodates up to four passengers. Every rider enjoys a premium experience with panoramic windows offering a bird’s-eye view of the skyline. Safety is paramount; the aircraft is flown by a certified commercial pilot and features multiple layers of system redundancies.
Technically, the aircraft is a marvel of modern engineering:
- Vertical takeoff: Six tilting propellers allow it to lift off like a helicopter before transitioning into a 200 mph forward flight.
- Range: It can cover 100 miles on a single charge.
- Acoustics: Engineered to be whisper-quiet, the aircraft’s sound profile is designed to blend into the natural hum of city streets.
Leading the change
The partnership aims to make vertical transit a daily reality rather than a futuristic fantasy.
“We’ve long believed in the power of advanced air mobility to transform how people move through cities,” said Sachin Kansal, Chief Product Officer at Uber. “With Uber Air, riders will be able to book Joby’s electric air taxi through a simple and familiar, one-tap experience on Uber, seamlessly connecting every leg of their journey – making ground-to-sky travel even more effortless.”
“We set out to build a new layer of urban transportation,” said Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby. “Our focus has always been on creating a flight experience that operates quietly and integrates naturally into the rhythm of city life. By partnering with Uber, we’re making this new mode of transportation familiar and accessible, connecting the ground and the sky through a system designed to save people time and fit seamlessly into how they already move.”
The dream of urban air mobility isn’t a recent whim; Joby and Uber have been architecting this future since 2019. A major turning point occurred in 2021 when Joby acquired Uber Elevate. This specialized division was instrumental in building the industry from the ground up, creating the advanced simulation tools needed to predict passenger demand and manage complex, multi-modal schedules.
Where will you see Uber Air first?
Joby expects to welcome its inaugural passengers in Dubai later this year, marking a landmark achievement for the Joby-Uber alliance as they roll out multi-modal transit across the globe.
While Dubai takes the lead, the path to commercial flight in the United States involves rigorous oversight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates exhaustive testing before any aircraft can carry the public. Joby is already a frontrunner in this process, having logged more than 50,000 miles of flight tests across its experimental fleet. Currently, the company has entered the final stage of certification—a testament to its “safety-first” philosophy and consistent progress toward a domestic launch.
In fact, in addition to the upcoming launch of Uber Air powered by Joby, the two companies announced last year that they would integrate Blade’s commercial helicopter services into the Uber app throughout 2026. This move follows Joby’s acquisition of Blade’s passenger business and serves as a vital stepping stone.
This strategic roadmap ensures that once Joby’s electric air taxis receive full regulatory approval, the infrastructure will be ready for a rapid global expansion. Target markets already on the horizon include: New York, Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Dubai.
Source: Uber