Joby’s Electric Air Taxis Make Their Mark on New York Skies

Yesterday, a Joby electric aircraft took off from JFK and landed at West 30th Street Heliport in Manhattan after a 15-minute trip. This small excursion was significant because it was the first time an electric aircraft of its type flew point-to-point from a large New York City airport to a city heliport.

Over the next week, the business expects to make the same trip several times, this time connecting JFK to Downtown Skyport and East 34th Street Heliport. They’ll be using the same landing pads that will eventually handle paying passengers, and the aircraft is fully prepared for it. On the outside, it appears to be a fairly typical plane, but on the inside, there is a pilot and space for four people and their luggage. It has six tilting propellers that spin up for vertical takeoff before swiveling around for efficient cruise flight at speeds of up to 200 mph. The engineers installed many backup systems to ensure that even if a few motors fail, the airplane can continue to fly. What truly stands out while it’s airborne is how silent the rotors are, since they’re far quieter than a helicopter of similar size and can be easily lost in the city noise. Zero emissions are also a significant bonus, as New York doesn’t need any additional pollution or congestion.

Joby chose these exact routes because they mirror what they hope to offer soon. The air taxi travels the same distance as a car from Midtown to JFK in around 7 minutes, saving you approximately an hour and up to $50. During the test, pilots follow the shoreline via Coney Island and over the harbor and Hudson River. Each landing takes place at a heliport that is already or will soon be equipped with charging stations, thanks to the Port Authority and the NYC Economic Development Corporation.

These flights are all part of a larger federal initiative known as the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. New York was one of the test sites, and the Port Authority is overseeing the entire process. The FAA is closely monitoring everything to gain a better understanding of how these sorts of aircraft fit into congested airspace. Joby’s certification campaign is nearly complete, as they recently flew their first production model and expect approval later this year.

The week long flight campaign is part of Joby’s 2026 Electric Skies Tour, which began in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each stop allows the public to get up close to the aircraft while the crew collects real-world data on its performance. By the end of the process, the data and film will have been incorporated into the following round of approvals and infrastructure enhancements. New York City appears to be the next city to join a small group of cities, including Los Angeles and Miami, that will debut the country’s first regular electric air taxi services.