Company performs first ever electric air taxi flight over New York City

A company has performed the first ever electric air taxi flight over New York City.

Joby Aviation say it's the first time they have they have flown in an urban setting.

The aircraft took off on Sunday (12 Nov) from the iconic Downtown Heliport in Manhattan.

New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, announced Monday the city's intention to electrify the heliport, with an aim to make New York the global leader in the adoption of clean, quiet flight.

Joby expect to launch a commercial passenger service in 2025, cutting journey time from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport from more than an hour by car to just seven minutes by air.

“By electrifying one of the most famous heliports in the world, New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel. We’re grateful for the support of the city, and we’re honoured to be working with visionary partners like Delta Air Lines to bring our air taxi service to this market,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers, while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise.”

Joby say their aircraft was designed to have a radically lower acoustic footprint than today’s helicopters, allowing it to operate in densely populated areas such as New York City without adding to the background noise.

In 2022, they collaborated with NASA to measure the sound of its aircraft, confirming it registered the equivalent of 45.2 A-weighted decibels (dBA) when flying overhead at an altitude of 1640 feet (500 metres) – quieter than a typical conversation.

The firm say they have flown more than 30,000 miles with its full-scale prototype eVTOL aircraft, beginning in 2017.

The Company recently celebrated the first aircraft to roll off its Pilot Production Plant in Marina, California, and delivered the first-ever electric air taxi to the US Air Force for on-base operational testing.

Joby previously announced through its partnership with Delta Air Lines that it expects New York to be one of its early launch markets after receiving certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

There are plans to offer fast, quiet journeys using a piloted, four-passenger electric aircraft which has zero operating emissions.

Joby say its aircraft is optimised for rapid, back-to-back flights and can fly up to 100 miles on a single charge, covering 99% of all trips taken today across New York City’s five boroughs.

Joby and Delta say they are working closely with the Port Authority of New York and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) as they plan for initial operations, including the development of infrastructure at JFK and LaGuardia International Airport.