Schneider Electric has supported Skyports Infrastructure in delivering the electrical and digital backbone of VDX, the world’s first purpose-built commercial vertiport, located by Dubai International Airport.
The vertiport reached technical completion in April 2026 and was certified for eVTOL operations in July. It is the flagship site in Dubai’s planned air taxi network, with further vertiports in development at Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah. VDX is designed to handle up to 170,000 passengers a year.
Schneider Electric’s architecture includes digital low-voltage switchboards, a building management system, EcoStruxure Power Operation, ION9000 power quality monitoring, connected power meters, capacitor banks and Galaxy UPS units protecting critical systems. It is built around high-power charging that keeps Joby Aviation’s aircraft ready between flights, alongside aviation-grade electrical safety standards.
The system focuses on three outcomes. Operational resilience gives real-time visibility into critical power and building systems so issues are addressed before they affect operations. Energy intelligence optimises consumption and allows aircraft charging to adapt to demand. Network scalability creates a standardised digital architecture that can be replicated at each new station. Once fully operational, the solutions are expected to deliver energy savings of up to 25 percent across the facility.
The project supports the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and its 20-Minute City policy. A journey that takes 45 minutes by road is expected to take around 12 minutes by air.
Gareth Wilson, General Manager for Dubai at Skyports Infrastructure, said charging electric aircraft creates rapidly changing power demands while the terminal must stay fully operational. He said the scalable approach gives Skyports a baseline to roll out across the wider network.
Amel Chadli, Gulf Cluster and Countries President at Schneider Electric, said the collaboration marks a significant step towards redefining urban mobility, with an architecture built to scale as the network expands.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
