Electric air taxis take off from Manhattan for first New York airport trips
CNN • • business
Key Points:
- Joby Aviation conducted the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) demonstration flights between Manhattan and JFK Airport, aiming to make such electric air taxi services a routine mode of transportation.
- The eVTOL aircraft can carry five people, including a pilot, take off vertically, and transition to forward flight with quieter operation and zero emissions compared to helicopters.
- The flights aim to reduce travel time between Lower/Midtown Manhattan and JFK Airport to under 10 minutes, significantly cutting down the typical one-to-two-hour drive.
- This 10-day flight campaign is part of the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, which supports real-world testing to help develop regulations for next-generation aircraft.
- Joby is collaborating with multiple state departments of transportation and the Port Authority, with FAA certification in its final stages after new rules were published in 2024 to advance air taxi commercialization.
