NEW YORK: Electric air taxis could be transporting passengers from JFK Airport to downtown Manhattan by 2025 – on quiet, emissions-free journeys that take around seven minutes.
Manufacturer Joby Aviation (JOBY.N) carried out an exhibition flight at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York on Sunday, the city’s first-ever electric air taxi flight and the first time Joby has flown in an urban setting.
The craft can recharge in about five minutes, while passengers are unloading and boarding, said CEO JoeBen Bevirt. The idea is that travelers will book their trip, similar to a rideshare app.
Those present watched as Joby’s four-passenger, one-pilot eVTOL took flight in an urban setting for the first time. The roughly six-minute sortie was also the first of its kind in New York.
It was a landmark moment for Santa Cruz-based Joby and its chief executive JoeBen Bevirt, who called Manhattan “one of the most iconic locations in the world”.
“This is a dream I’ve had since I was little,” Bevirt said as Joby’s aircraft banked slowly overhead. “Being able to fly this aircraft here in New York is just absolutely spectacular. I can’t tell you how thrilled the entire team from Joby is to be here and for all of you to experience it.”
The sortie followed several days of warm-up flights in nearby Kearny, New Jersey, says Joby. The company has previously disclosed that it has completed more than 1,000 test flights with its eVTOL.
The company aims to begin commercial passenger service in 2025 and is in the third of five stages of certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The cost of booking a trip has yet to be confirmed but the company has previously said it will likely be comparable to a rideshare in a car.
