Joby Aviation launches first eVTOL point-to-point flights in New York
April 28, 2026
Air taxi developer Joby Aviation has kicked off a week-long trial of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) operations within congested New York airspace, with the first-ever point-to-point flight in the city.
The aircraft, the JAS4-1 model, with registration N545JX, took off from John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Monday, before completing successful landings at the Downtown Skyport, and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports.
Joby’s plan for eVTOLs in New York
Joby hopes one day to offer connections between Manhattan and JFK in just seven minutes, and has partnered with Uber and Delta Air Lines to make that goal a reality.
Progress is gathering pace in New York after the city was selected under the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which seeks to accelerate the rollout of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft.
The eIPP allows Joby to begin early operations in New York and nine other states: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.
JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “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.”
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole added, “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.”
Competition from Vertical Aerospace in NYC
Joby is not alone in seeking to break into the New York market. UK-based Vertical Aerospace has chosen the city for the US debut of Valo, its new commercial eVTOL aircraft.
Both Joby and Vertical will see the challenges and advantages of using New York as the launch point for advanced air mobility.
Chronic congestion often turns short ground hops into hour-plus-long journeys. At the same time, demand for premium, efficient cross-city travel options remains strong in one of the world’s most important financial hubs.
What are Joby’s AAM plans across the US?
Joby’s ambitions to integrate eVTOL flights within commercial airspace extend far beyond New York.
The California-based company recently announced a partnership with artificial intelligence parking specialist Metropolis Technologies to develop up to 25 vertiports across the United States.
Under the partnership, vertiports would be developed within Metropolis’ portfolio of parking assets, which spans more than 4,200 locations across North America.
Joby has the backing of its now wholly owned subsidiary Blade Air Mobility for the New York launch.
Blade is a ticket booking platform aimed at passengers transferring between Manhattan and JFK or Newark airports, and Nice and Monaco.
Testing continues as Joby seeks FAA certification
Joby has been carrying out flight tests near San Francisco as it enters what it hopes will be the final stages of its FAA certification pathway.
In March, Joby completed a series of demonstration flights in the Californian city, and the company is now scaling its manufacturing capacity with a newly acquired 700,000-square-foot facility in Dayton, Ohio, which, alongside Joby’s production site and powertrain facilities in California, will support its plans to increase production to up to four aircraft per month in 2027.
Featured image: Joby Aviation
