Picture flying past bumper-to-bumper traffic and soaring above city streets in a smooth, silent, all-electric plane—no pilot’s license required. That’s the vision of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs. What had seemed like science fiction is now taking off, with test flights in development and the technology building speed. Pushing the pace is Joby Aviation, one of several firms working to introduce air taxis into ordinary urban life.
Joby Aviation: From Prototypes to Production
California-based Joby Aviation has been working on electric planes since 2017. A our-person capacity plus a pilot, reaches 200 miles per hour in speed, and travels 150 miles in a single charge. Following thousands of miles of testing in flight, Joby achieved a milestone when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate to the company’s first production factory-built model. The certificate represented a turning point—from hand-built prototypes to production aircraft, and commercial air taxi service within reach.
Regulatory Hurdles and Milestones
Starting an air taxi operation is not merely a matter of creating an airplane—it is also a matter of complying with rigorous safety rules. The FAA’s process for certifying an aircraft is rigorous, and safety is the top priority. Joby’s certificate is for research and development test flights under specific circumstances, and the FAA has been working diligently to revise its guidelines to include this new type of aircraft. These include regulations around pilot training and airspace integration. If things go according to plan, air taxis may become a familiar sight above American skies by 2024 or 2025—but only if all safety boxes get ticked along the way.
Partnerships and Global Expansion
Joby isn’t going it alone. The company has made significant partnerships to bring air taxis to market. Here in the U.S., Joby has partnered with Delta Air Lines to offer an integrated home-to-airport service, beginning with New York and Los Angeles. The objective is straightforward: book a flight on Delta, make a reservation for your air taxi using the same app, and arrive in downtown or at the airport within minutes. On Joby’s website, an animation depicts a seven-minute trip by air from Manhattan to JFK, compared to almost an hour by road.
Internationally, Joby is also planning. South Korea will introduce an air taxi service in collaboration with SK Telecom. The strategy involves integration with SKT’s T Map Mobility platform and UT, a ride-hailing app created through a joint venture with Uber. This initiative is in line with South Korea’s vision to introduce urban air mobility routes in Seoul by 2025, with the eventual connection of air taxi terminals to public transport systems.
Manufacturing and Industry Collaboration
Increasing production is a big part of making air taxis commercially viable. Joby’s pilot manufacturing line at Marina, California, currently makes a small number of aircraft per year. But the firm is already searching for a new site where it can construct a bigger factory that can produce hundreds of aircraft every year. Toyota, Joby’s biggest outside investor, has invested about $400 million and is sharing its manufacturing know-how to assist in streamlining production and providing essential parts. The partnership reflects an increasing tendency among automakers and aerospace firms to collaborate to develop eVTOLs for the market.
Industry conferences such as The eVTOL SHOW USA are also contributing to the shaping of the future. These conferences unite engineers, developers, and business leaders who discuss the issues of regulation, infrastructure, and technology as eVTOLs head toward commercial readiness.
The Road (and Sky) Ahead for eVTOLs
Despite all the hype, there are still lots of questions. Urban designers and transportation specialists sound an alarm that, without careful incorporation into public transit networks, air taxis will serve only a limited portion of the population. Noise, airspace use issues, and environmental impacts must be addressed as well. Joby’s CEO, JoeBen Bevirt, has stated that the company hopes to make flying taxi rides as cheap as current car-based ride-hailing services, and ultimately drive prices down below $1 per mile.
Before some of the first production versions become available to the public, a number of them will be sent to Edwards Air Force Base. They’ll be tested by the U.S. Air Force under a $131 million contract for a variety of logistics missions, such as delivering cargo and carrying passengers.
The eVTOL sector is in its formative years, but the pace is continuous. With regulatory breakthroughs, strategic collaborations, and expanding manufacturing capacity, electric air taxis are moving closer to becoming a reality. Whether they rise to be a niche luxury or an efficient, revolutionary means to travel cities will hinge on choices being made today by engineers, regulators, and urban planners striving to define the mobility future.
