Overview
- Joby Aviation began a week of piloted electric air taxi demonstrations on Monday, April 27, flying between JFK Airport and Manhattan heliports on real routes.
- The company says each JFK–Manhattan hop took under 10 minutes, far faster than the typical 60 to 120 minutes by road, using Downtown, West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports.
- The campaign runs under the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program with the Port Authority, following a recent conforming‑aircraft flight that lets FAA pilots begin for‑credit testing.
- Joby’s plan in New York builds on its 2025 purchase of Blade’s passenger business and partnerships with Delta and Uber so travelers can book door‑to‑door trips through familiar apps.
- NYC agencies and private partners are adding charging at heliports, and Joby targets passenger service in the second half of 2026 if it wins final FAA type certification.