Electric air taxis have taken to the skies over New York City, completing the first-ever point-to-point electric vertical takeoff and landing flights in the city's history, cutting what can be a two-hour drive to John F. Kennedy International Airport down to under 10 minutes.

California-based Joby Aviation, Inc. launched its electric air taxi demonstration flights on Friday (April 25), with the aircraft departing from JFK and touching down at several Manhattan heliports, including the Downtown Skyport and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports in Midtown. The flights are part of a week-long public campaign showcasing the company's all-electric, zero-emission aircraft across New York City's existing heliport network.

The aircraft flew with pilots but carried no passengers. The demonstrations are designed to show how the technology could one day connect Lower Manhattan and Midtown to JFK in just minutes — a trip that, by ground, can swallow up to two hours in heavy traffic.

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and chief executive officer of Joby, said New York has always set the pace for the future. "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," Bevirt said. "This week, flying between JFK and Manhattan, we showed what the White House-backed eIPP initiative makes possible and offered New York a look at what's coming."

The flights celebrate New York's selection in March under the federal electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), established by executive order to speed up the commercial rollout of next-generation air transportation across the United States. Joby was named a partner on five of the selected projects, spanning 12 states.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the region's airports, bridges, tunnels, and seaport, worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Joby to make the flights possible. Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole called the aircraft "exactly the kind of innovation we have a responsibility to test, understand, and help shape for the good of the region and the public."

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in partnership with Skyports Infrastructure and Vertiports by Atlantic, plans to electrify the city's heliport infrastructure ahead of a commercial air taxi launch.

Joby's aircraft is designed with multiple built-in safety redundancies and produces significantly less noise than traditional helicopters, with an acoustic profile that blends into the everyday sounds of city life. The company says the trips could one day reclaim some of the 102 hours the average New York commuter lost to traffic congestion in 2025.

On pricing, Bevirt said that the company's target is "to be competitive with ground transportation over time." Ride-share fares between JFK and Midtown currently range from $150 to $250, depending on time of day and traffic.

Joby's New York push builds on its 2025 acquisition of Blade Air Mobility's passenger business, now a wholly owned subsidiary. Through partnerships with Delta Air Lines and Uber, the company aims to create a seamless, end-to-end travel experience linking ground transportation and air travel in a single journey.

The New York flights are part of Joby's broader 2026 Electric Skies Tour, a national showcase timed to celebrate the United States' 250th anniversary. The tour launched earlier this year in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Joby completed a landmark flight over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Joby continues working through the final stages of FAA certification, with recent test flights of its first conforming aircraft paving the way for FAA pilots to carry out for-credit tests. Commercial air taxi service in New York is not yet scheduled, but the company says the current flight campaign is a direct preview of what's coming.

Theresa Lucas