Skyports receives design approval for Dubai International Vertiport

Dubai: The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates has granted design clearance to Skyports Infrastructure for the Dubai International Vertiport (DXV). 

DXV, the first of four planned vertiports in the city to receive design acceptance, is situated close to Dubai International Airport.

With commercial air taxi operations anticipated to start in 2026, the Skyports-run development, in collaboration with Joby Aviation and the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), can now proceed.

The GCAA’s permission was “a key milestone for our flagship DXV facility, bringing us ever closer to launching commercial air taxi operations,” according to Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports.

The vertiport specialist was required to demonstrate that the planned aircraft structure would meet the specifications listed in the GCAA’s CAR-HVD Part III in order to obtain GCAA consent.

Layout conditions, charging stations, obstacle proximity, and Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (RFFS) are all specified in the standards.

“Getting technical design acceptance is a crucial step that ensures our vertiports meet UAE standards for safety, efficiency, and compliance,” stated Giacomo Sartor, senior vertiport planner at Skyports, on Linkedin.

In February 2024, Skyports and the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) initially inked a contract. It is anticipated that the 3,100-square-meter DXV facility will be the first permanent commercial vertiport in history. It is expected to accommodate 170,000 passengers and 42,000 landings per year.

Travel between the city’s airports should be made easier by the four planned vertiports, situated in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown, Dubai Marina, and DXB. Compared to the 45-minute travel by automobile, the estimated time for the air taxi from DXB to Palm Jumeirah is 10 minutes.

At the end of December, Skyports announced that it is working with the French airport operator Groupe ADP on the New York City Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) as part of its efforts to increase its global footprint. With Skyports and its partners aiming to adapt the heliport infrastructure to support sustainable mobility technologies, such as charging infrastructure for eVTOL flights, heliport operations are anticipated to begin in February 2025.