As frontrunners in a somewhat protracted race towards certifying eVTOL aircraft and bringing them to market, manufacturers face the increasingly urgent task of providing operational infrastructure. This effort, which has yet to result in much in terms of bricks and mortar for new vertiports, involves several of the manufacturers themselves and also ground service providers, including some from the business aviation sector.
As early 2026 dawns, Skyports Infrastructure is on track to complete what it terms “the world’s first commercial vertiport,” the inaugural element of its Dubai-based network scheduled for completion in the first quarter of the year. The facility was granted regulatory approval in January 2025 and, when operational, is designed to facilitate 42,000 aircraft movements and approximately 170,000 passengers a year from two landing areas. An exclusive six-year deal will see Californian eVTOL developer Joby launch commercial services in Dubai with its four-passenger S4 vehicle (following expected certification in 2026). However, it seems this four-story vertiport stands in contrast to other infrastructure ambitions, few of which have progressed beyond a testbed capacity.
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