UAE regulator visits Joby and Archer in California as the 2026 Gulf launch window narrows

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) visited Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation in California to review aircraft certification and airworthiness requirements, Khaleej Times reported on October 15. Both companies picked the Emirates for their first passenger service.

The delegation was led by Eng. Aqeel Al Zarooni, assistant director general for Aviation Safety Affairs. It included senior members of the authority's Flight Operations and Airworthiness teams. The authority held separate sessions and technical workshops with each company, covering certification, airworthiness and operational matters.

Where each company stands in the UAE

Joby signed a definitive agreement with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority in February 2024. It gives Joby exclusive rights to run air taxi services in the emirate for six years, and the commercial launch is targeted for 2026. Joby's UAE team has said passengers will be carried only once all safety and certification requirements are met, including an Air Operator Certificate from the GCAA, Khaleej Times reports.

Archer is partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and Abu Dhabi is its first planned launch market. On May 7, 2026, the GCAA moved Archer's Midnight into a Restricted Type Certificate (RTC) program. Archer describes the RTC as "an established pathway" to begin limited commercial operations, and says it was the first eVTOL maker to move onto that track with the GCAA. Midnight is planned to enter service with Abu Dhabi Aviation.

Khaleej Times says both companies have also completed piloted flights. Archer's longest covered about 55 miles in 31 minutes, and Joby's first lasted around 12 minutes over 10 nautical miles. In an earlier report, the GCAA said UAE air taxi certification would be completed in the third quarter of 2026. That quarter ended September 30.

The US side

Neither aircraft holds an FAA type certificate. In its Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Joby reported that, as of July 31, Stage 4 (Testing & Analysis) was 83% complete on its side and 77% accepted by the FAA. Stage 5 (Show & Verify) stood at 20% and 10%. Joby notes these percentages can fluctuate as documents are revised. In its Q2 results, Archer said Midnight flew a piloted Salinas–Monterey round trip in July ahead of US operations "later this year" under the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.

Our take

A regulator visit isn't a certificate, but it shows both programmes are still in active review with the UAE authority. As of October 9, the RankedRobot tracker found that neither company had announced paid passenger service. Archer first said Abu Dhabi Aviation would deploy Midnight in 2025, before the target moved to 2026. With about 11 weeks left in the year, the things to watch are a GCAA type certificate or RTC actually being issued, and an Air Operator Certificate for the operator.

Sources

• Khaleej Times: UAE flying taxis: Regulator visits Joby and Archer facilities before service launch (Oct 15 2026)
• Archer: UAE Regulator and Archer Move to Streamlined Approach for Certifying Midnight in the UAE (May 7 2026)
• Joby Q2 2026 Shareholder Letter, SEC exhibit (Aug 5 2026)
• Archer Q2 2026 results, SEC exhibit (Aug 10 2026)
• RankedRobot: eVTOL air taxis in 2026 (updated Oct 9 2026)