Electric air taxis set to take over the skies of NYC
Electric air taxis set to take over the skies of NYC
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Joby Aviation is conducting a week-long test of the first point-to-point air taxi demonstration flights in New York City as the company gets closer to winning government approval to deploy commercial electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The tests of the aircraft are under a pilot program announced by the Federal Aviation Administration in September.
A Joby aircraft departed from JFK Airport in New York and landed at the city’s existing heliport network, including Downtown Skyport, and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street Heliports in Midtown.
Air taxi firms are racing to secure approvals and commercialise air taxi aircraft to meet the growing demand for faster and more sustainable urban transportation. They tout eVTOLs, which can take off and land vertically, are able to ferry travellers to airports or for short city trips, allowing them to beat traffic.
The company said it aims to connect Lower Manhattan and Midtown to JFK in under 10 minutes for a trip that could take more than an hour with New York congestion.
President Donald Trump directed the creation of the program in June in an executive order. A number of other countries, including India, China, and the United Arab Emirates, are working to more widely deploy eVTOLs for commercial passenger services.
