Joby Aviation this week is carrying out a series of demonstration flights in New York City that mark the first point-to-point air taxi tests in the market as the company moves closer to obtaining government approval to operate commercial electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
The week-long campaign is part of a pilot program the Federal Aviation Administration announced in September. On Monday, a Joby eVTOL departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport and landed at facilities within the city’s existing heliport network, including Downtown Skyport and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street Heliports in Midtown. Additional demonstration flights are scheduled throughout the week.
Companies developing air taxis are competing to win regulatory approvals and bring electric aircraft into commercial service to meet demand for faster, lower-emission urban travel. These eVTOL aircraft are designed to take off and land vertically and to shuttle passengers either to airports or on short intracity routes, offering potential travel times that bypass congested roadways. Joby has said it aims to connect Lower Manhattan and Midtown to JFK in under 10 minutes - a journey that can exceed an hour in heavy New York traffic.
Joby reported continued movement through the final stages of Federal Aviation Administration certification following a recent flight of its first conforming aircraft, a milestone needed before FAA pilots can conduct further testing. "Building on a series of piloted demonstrations across the San Francisco Bay Area, the New York campaign puts the aircraft in real flight routes and real environments in one of the world’s most dynamic cities, demonstrating the acoustics and performance metrics that are critical to unlocking the urban aerial ridesharing market," the company said.
The program traces to a June executive order directing its creation. A number of other countries, including India, China, and the United Arab Emirates, are working to expedite the deployment of eVTOL aircraft. The article notes that such aircraft could begin carrying paying passengers as early as later this year.
The piece also highlights a 2022 investment from Delta Air Lines, which provided $60 million and obtained a small equity stake in a partnership intended to eventually offer air taxi transport for passengers to and from airports in New York and Los Angeles.
The article further references an investing tool that evaluates Delta Air Lines using an automated system and notes that readers can use that tool to see if Delta currently appears in its strategies. The description states the tool uses multiple financial metrics to identify stock ideas and claims prior notable winners, though those statements are presented as part of the investment product description rather than as independent analysis of Joby or eVTOL deployment prospects.