Dubai considers delaying the roll out of its flying taxi service
Flying taxi's are great, but like any other responsible country Dubai wants to make sure they meet all the safety standards before they're rolled out
Key takeaways
- Earlier this month, the RTA, in collaboration with China’s Ehang, also announced that it had carried the first test run of an autonomous aerial vehicle capable of carrying a human and would put it in operation by July.
- The RTA is also in talks with UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the federal, autonomous body set up to oversee aviation related activities in the country, for completion of the certification process.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Dubai considers delaying the roll out of its flying taxi service', 311 Institute, 17 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/dubai-considers-delaying-the-roll-out-of-its-flying-taxi-service/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Dubai is rapidly transforming itself into an Emirate that is embracing the future at full tilt, and early in May during my presentation to at Dubai's IAICC Innovation Conference the excitement about Dubai's forthcoming flying taxis service, which was announced earlier this year, was palpable.
However, on Monday Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said it will not commence commercial service of the service until it gets its safety certification, hopefully it won't take too long, I know how many of you are champing at the bit to go and take a ride.
Earlier this month, the RTA, in collaboration with China’s Ehang, also announced that it had carried the first test run of an autonomous aerial vehicle capable of carrying a human and would put it in operation by July.
“Safety is our priority. The flying cars need to be certified before we put them into commercial operations,” Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of RTA, said after launching the 2017-2021 digital strategy, "we are working on the certification process and have set up a committee. We hope to launch the service on a limited basis by July only if the certification procedure is completed and it is 100 percent safe,” he added.
The RTA is also in talks with UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the federal, autonomous body set up to oversee aviation related activities in the country, for completion of the certification process.
The driverless flying taxis are part of Dubai government’s 2030 initiative, unveiled in April 2016, which aims to have 25 percent of the Emirate’s transport to be autonomous by 2030 and generate economic revenues and savings of up to $5.99 billion (AED22 billion) a year.
What this means for your organisation
Rules set the timeline.
The vehicles exist, but they cannot carry paying passengers without certification. Regulators, not engineers, now decide when services start. Firms should build their plans around approval timelines.
Ambition needs a safety case.
Dubai aims for 25 percent of its transport to be autonomous by 2030. Even ambitious governments will not trade away safety to get there. Operators must prove their systems before scaling.
Partnerships span borders.
A local authority, a federal aviation body and a foreign vehicle maker all play a part. New mobility services need cooperation across many agencies. Leaders should map every approval they will need.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which regulators would need to approve our new mobility services?
- How strong is our safety case for autonomous vehicles?
- What would delays in certification do to our plans?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Flying taxi's are great, but like any other responsible country Dubai wants to make sure they meet all the safety standards before they're rolled out
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on transport and mobility and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 17 July 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Dubai considers delaying the roll out of its flying taxi service. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/dubai-considers-delaying-the-roll-out-of-its-flying-taxi-service/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.