Uber Aims to Offer Electric Air Taxi Service in 2026

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s an Uber, man! One with propellers!

That’s what people on the ground might shout when the ridesharing service launches fleets of “electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) drones." The air taxis will ferry riders to and from airports and other spots in select cities starting in 2026.   

The service will be offered through a partnership between Uber and Joby Aviation. Riders will access these air taxis through the app. At first, they will be offered in Dubai, New York, and Los Angeles. Future rollouts are planned for London, Tokyo, and elsewhere. The taxis are in the final stages of earning Federal Aviation Administration approval in the US.  

The cost for these rides have not been announced. But they are expected to be sky high, at least at first. Joby officials expect those costs to come down over time. They argue eVTOLs will replace traditional helicopters. The drones, they say, require less fuel and less maintenance.

"Since Uber’s earliest days, we’ve believed in the power of advanced air mobility,” said Uber President Andrew Macdonald in a prepared statement. “We’re excited to bring our customers the next generation of travel." 

These aircraft can carry up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph. And they are far more quiet than regular helicopters. This is not Uber’s first try with the air taxi market, though. In 2019, the ride share company debuted Uber Copter in New York City and offered rides with fares of up to $225 from Lower Manhattan to John F Kennedy International Airport. Uber stopped the service during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Reflect: What kinds of new technology would you be excited to see become part of everyday life, and why?

Gif of helicopter from GIPHY.