A multi-agency emergency drill was conducted at the VDX vertiport near Dubai International Airport on 16 September, as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) brought together five government bodies to test crisis response at the facility ahead of its planned commercial launch.
The exercise ran from 9am to 12pm and involved the RTA, Dubai Resilience Centre, Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence, and Dubai Ambulance. The RTA said the drill was part of efforts to strengthen preparedness, coordination and response capabilities across the agencies involved.
VDX vertiport emergency drill: what was tested
The VDX vertiport is the first of four planned eVTOL facilities across Dubai. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) certified it for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft operations in July, a process that covered infrastructure, physical characteristics, operational procedures, safety management arrangements, and emergency preparedness.
The four-storey facility spans approximately 3,100 square metres and includes two dedicated take-off and landing pads. Skyports Infrastructure, which developed the vertiport, said each pad is equipped with fast-charging technology capable of supporting up to 10 aircraft landings per hour. The facility reached technical completion on 16 April 2026.
Construction began on 12 November 2024. Skyports holds the contract to develop all four Dubai vertiports in partnership with the RTA.
Three more vertiports under development across the emirate
The three remaining vertiports are under development at Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, and Dubai Marina. Agreements for those sites were signed with Emaar Properties, Atlantis The Royal, and Wasl Asset Management Group respectively.
Joby Aviation holds a six-year exclusive agreement with the RTA to operate air taxi services across the network. The RTA has indicated that aerial taxi station operations near Dubai International Airport are due to begin in 2026, with the inaugural commercial flight scheduled to take place during that period.
Once commercial operations begin, the VDX facility alone is expected to handle up to 170,000 passengers annually. Skyports plans to manage all four vertiports through a centralised remote Operations Control Centre rather than staffing each site individually.
The original agreement for the service was signed by the RTA alongside the GCAA, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Joby Aviation, and Skyports Infrastructure. The RTA’s first crewed test flight with Joby took place ahead of the commercial launch window.
The GCAA certification and the September drill together represent the two principal regulatory and operational gates the VDX facility has now cleared before commercial eVTOL services begin. The RTA has not confirmed a specific opening date beyond the 2026 launch window.
