The 2019 headline said Uber would offer flying taxis in 2023. That did not happen. But the story did not simply die: Uber exited aircraft development, Joby bought Uber Elevate, and in 2026 the two companies brought the Uber Air name back with a much more concrete path to service.
2019 → 2023: a forecast became a headline
Early urban-air-mobility marketing compressed a huge list of unresolved problems — aircraft certification, manufacturing, vertiports, airspace integration, pilot operations and economics — into a simple date. The technology progressed, but the commercial timetable was far too aggressive.
2021: Joby acquired Uber Elevate
Uber did not become an aircraft manufacturer. Joby acquired the Elevate division and its software and market-planning work, while Uber remained a strategic partner. That changed the model from “Uber builds flying taxis” to “Uber can become the booking and ground-transport layer around an aviation operator.”
Uber Air powered by Joby
Bookable in Uber
Uber says eligible journeys are intended to appear in the app, linking the air segment with Uber Black ground transfers.
Four passengers
Joby’s piloted electric aircraft is designed for up to four passengers, with vertical takeoff and forward flight.
Dubai first
Uber and Joby said in February 2026 that Joby expected to carry its first passengers later in 2026 in Dubai, subject to the approvals and launch work required.
Certification still matters
Joby’s August 2026 update said the company was making its strongest progress yet in the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification, while also preparing early U.S. operations under a pilot program.
The second attempt is less science fiction and more transport integration
The aircraft now exist in flight-test fleets. Vertiport partners exist. Regulators have specific certification programs. The Uber app integration has been demonstrated. Those are materially different from a concept video.
The 2023 promise was wrong; the 2026 project is real but still early
That is the more interesting story: not “flying taxis finally arrived,” but how a failed launch date evolved into a more credible partnership with actual aircraft, certification work and a first-market strategy.