Joby Aviation have conducted the first ever point-to-point eVTOL flight across the New York City skyline in a demonstration of how an air taxi network could operate across the US’s most populous urban area.
During the test flight, Joby’s N545JX aircraft took off from JFK airport and travelled up Manhattan island, touching down at existing Downtown and Midtown helipads along the journey. The demo took place under the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which selected New York as one of the testing hubs for air taxi technology. Joby will collaborate on five eIPP projects overall. JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, commented:
New York has always been a city that defines the future by demanding better. We first flew here in 2023, and now we’re showing what the next chapter looks like: a quiet, zero operating emissions air taxi service designed to better serve New Yorkers. This week, flying between JFK and Manhattan, we showed what the White House-backed eIPP initiative makes possible and offered New York a look at what’s coming.
Joby face stiff competition in the race to receive certification from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). Other providers jostling to launch commercial service in NYC include British developers Vertical Aerospace and Californian startup Archer Aviation. All three air taxi providers claim their aircraft could cut travel times between key New York City locations down to as little as ten minutes.
NYC’s helipads will be electrified to prepare for the mass deployment of air taxis, while key partners at the city’s Economic Development Corporation and the Port Authority are facilitating integration with existing transport links.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said:
The bridges, tunnels, airports, and rail lines that the Port Authority operates move hundreds of millions of people through this region every year, and our job is to make sure that network keeps pace with the future. This cutting-edge aircraft is exactly the kind of innovation we have a responsibility to test, understand, and help shape for the good of the region and the public. These flights advance our work to determine how next-generation aviation technology can serve the people of New York and New Jersey.
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