Integrated electrical and digital architecture at the Dubai International Airport Vertiport, VDX, is expected to deliver energy savings of up to 25% once fully operational
Dubai, UAE, October, 2026 – Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, has successfully supported Skyports Infrastructure, a global leader in vertiport infrastructure for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, in delivering the electrical and digital backbone of VDX, the world’s first purpose-built commercial vertiport, by Dubai International Airport.
The vertiport, which reached technical completion in April 2026, and was certified for eVTOL operations in July 2026, is the first and flagship vertiport in Dubai’s planned air taxi network. Further vertiports are in development at Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, and Palm Jumeirah.
Designed to handle up to 170,000 passengers a year, it represents a new class of transportation. This new class of transportation calls for a new class of energy infrastructure: high-power charging that keeps Joby Aviation’s aircraft ready between flights, electrical systems engineered to aviation-grade safety standards, and real-time intelligence connecting power, charging, and building systems across the facility.
Schneider Electric partnered with Skyports to engineer the energy and digital backbone that makes this possible. The architecture spans digital low-voltage switchboards, a building management system, EcoStruxure Power Operation at VDX integrated with the Dubai Marina Vertiport, ION9000 power quality monitoring, connected power meters, capacitor banks, and Galaxy UPS protecting critical systems.
Every element serves one of three outcomes:
- Operational resilience keeps the vertiport flight-ready, with real-time visibility into the health of critical power and building systems so potential issues are addressed before they reach operations.
- Energy intelligence optimises consumption across the facility and enables aircraft charging that adapts dynamically to demand.
- Network scalability turns the vertiport into a blueprint: a standardised digital architecture that shares infrastructure status automatically with flight scheduling and charging systems, and can be replicated at every station that follows.
Once the site is fully operational, Schneider Electric’s solutions are expected to deliver energy savings of up to 25% across the facility.
The project supports the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and its 20-Minute City policy, which envisions a city where residents reach most of their daily destinations within 20 minutes. Journeys that take 45 minutes by road are expected to take approximately 12 minutes by air, placing Dubai among the first cities in the world to make electric air travel part of everyday urban mobility.
“Charging electric aircraft creates some pretty significant and rapidly changing power demands,” said Gareth Wilson, General Manager, Dubai, Skyports Infrastructure. “At the same time, the terminal and all of its critical systems need to stay fully operational. We chose Schneider Electric to provide us with power infrastructure that is resilient, responsive and intelligent. Most importantly, the scalable approach gives us something we can replicate across the wider Dubai network. As we continue to add more vertiports, it provides us with a baseline that we can confidently continue to roll out.”
“Our collaboration with Skyports Infrastructure marks a significant step towards redefining the future of urban mobility,” said Amel Chadli, Gulf Cluster and Countries President at Schneider Electric. “The vertiport at Dubai International Airport, VDX, reflects Dubai’s position as a global leader in adopting the technologies that will define the next generation of transport. As Skyports’ energy technology partner, our role is to provide the energy and digital infrastructure that enables safe, reliable and efficient operations from day one, with an architecture built to scale as the network expands across the city.”
As the first vertiport in the network moves to operational readiness, its data will inform the optimisation of charging cycles, energy consumption, and aircraft throughput across every vertiport that follows, setting the standard for urban air mobility infrastructure in the region and beyond.
About Skyports Infrastructure:
Skyports Infrastructure is a global leader in the design, build, and operation of vertiports and heliports for eVTOLs and helicopters. With live operational assets in the UK and US, and projects under development across the Middle East, Europe and Asia, Skyports delivers the ground infrastructure needed for safe, efficient, and scalable vertical lift operations. The company is driving the future of urban air mobility, bringing next-generation aviation to cities around the world.
About Schneider Electric:
Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies.
