Joby Aviation is launching 10 days of electric air taxi demo flights in New York City. Before you try to book one to avoid the terrible city traffic, Joby’s planes are not taking customers yet. Instead, the company is testing air taxis on “real flight routes and in real environments,” as stated in its press release.
With the completion of the first point-to-point flight of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Joby said one of its electric air taxis delivered air travel from John F. Kennedy International Airport to NYC’s heliports in Lower Manhattan and Midtown in less than 10 minutes. Unlike helicopters, Joby’s CEO, Joby Bevirt, said this “quiet, air taxi service with zero operational emissions” would better serve New Yorkers. These demo flights are part of Joby’s participation in the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, a Federal Aviation Administration program to fast-track the commercial rollout of air taxis.
Joby said it’s still in the final stages of securing FAA certification, but this latest campaign in NYC should move its process along, especially after completing a pilot demo in the San Francisco Bay Area in March. Joby previously aimed to launch its air taxi service in 2025, but that target has since been pushed back. The company’s CEO said Joby plans to launch passenger flights to New York, Texas and Florida in the second half of 2026. bloomberg.
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