Joby's flying taxi made a 'major step' with its first test flight between two US airports
Joby Aviation said Friday that its electric aircraft, which can take off and land vertically, flew between two public airports in California.
It took about 12 minutes to fly from Marina to Monterey, whose airports are 11½ miles apart. The company called the flight "a major step as part of Joby's commercial market readiness."
Flying in controlled airspace, the aircraft spent five minutes in a holding pattern to let an airliner arrive at Monterey, Joby said.
In addition to working with air traffic control, the flight showcased some key capabilities of the electric vertical-takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL). It has six propellers, which tilt depending on whether it's flying vertically.
While Joby said it was the first eVTOL flight between two public airports in the US, the British firm Vertical Aerospace said it operated the world's first flight between two public airports last month, flying 17 miles from a small English airport to an air force base.
eVTOL companies are looking to transform commuting, with the first planned commercial services expected to be between airports and downtown cities.
Joby said it could fly from downtown New York City to JFK Airport in seven minutes compared to 49 minutes by car. Its eVTOL became the first to fly in the city with an exhibition flight in 2023.
Being powered by electricity is not just a sustainability benefit but also means it can fly relatively quietly, unlike helicopters, which are heavily regulated in New York and other cities due to their noise.
However, eVTOLs can require additional landing infrastructure when taking off and landing in cities. Vertical takeoff also requires more energy than horizontal flights, which, in combination with battery constraints, can limit passenger capacity.
While prices are yet to be announced, industry players have compared the cost of one seat to a premium Uber.
Joby has partnered with Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic to help launch air taxi services, while rival firm Archer has received an order worth up to $1.5 billion from United Airlines.
Both companies are planning to first carry passengers in the United Arab Emirates. Archer hopes to take off in Abu Dhabi before the end of the year, while Joby plans to launch in Dubai in early 2026.
Joby plans to begin flight testing with Federal Aviation Administration pilots early next year as it works to be certified in the US, and would first operate in Los Angeles and New York.
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SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing all-electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced it has successfully operated with other aircraft in FAA-controlled airspace by completing its first flight between two U.S. airports, Marina (OAR) and Monterey (MRY), California. The achievement is a major step as part of Joby's commercial market readiness, highlighting key capabilities across safety, operations, air traffic control and certification progress. It's a critical measure of the maturity of the Company's path to commercialization as the flights also demonstrated the type of real-world service Joby intends to offer to the public. 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To learn more, visit Forward-Looking Statements This release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, the growth of our manufacturing capabilities, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing, including the expected timing for FAA flight testing; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity, including initial launch markets; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as 'anticipate', 'estimate', 'expect', 'project', 'plan', 'intend', 'believe', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'can have', 'likely' and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled 'Risk Factors' in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') on February 27, 2025, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 8, 2025 and August 7, 2025, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates and beliefs as of the date of this release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
