Joby completes first eVTOL demo flights in New York

Joby Aviation has completed the first point-to-point eVTOL air taxi demonstration flights in New York City, operating between John F. Kennedy International Airport and heliports in Lower Manhattan and Midtown. The flights were conducted under the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Programme, with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey serving as a programme participant.

The aircraft operated from JFK to Downtown Skyport and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports, tracing routes the company envisions for future commercial service. Joby says the journey from JFK to Manhattan took under ten minutes, against a typical road journey it estimates at 60 to 120 minutes.

Joby’s New York commercial strategy is underpinned by its 2025 acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business, which served more than 90,000 passengers in 2025 and provides existing infrastructure across Manhattan and the city’s airports. The company has also established partnerships with Delta Air Lines and Uber to support end-to-end journey integration.

New York City’s heliport network is being electrified in anticipation of commercial air taxi service, led by the NYC Economic Development Corporation in partnership with Skyports Infrastructure and Vertiports by Atlantic.

Source: BusinessWire