Joby Aviation completed its first electric air taxi demonstration flights in New York City on April 27, 2026, using its piloted eVTOL aircraft to connect John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with Manhattan heliports as the company advances toward commercial passenger service.
The flights marked New York City’s first point-to-point electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi demonstrations, according to Joby.
The company said the demo flights are operating across the city’s existing heliports, including Downtown Skyport and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports in Midtown Manhattan.
Joby also rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on April 28, 2026, one day after announcing the New York flight campaign.
Joby is using the flights to show how its electric aircraft could eventually replace some conventional helicopter trips and shorten airport commutes in one of the country’s most congested transportation markets.
The company said the aircraft produces zero operating emissions and has a lower noise profile than similarly sized conventional aircraft or helicopters.
“New York has always been a city that defines the future by demanding better,” Bevirt said. “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.”
Joby said its aircraft, N545JX, traced potential future commercial routes in the New York. The company said it aims to turn a 60- to 120-minute drive to JFK into a seven-minute flight.
Joby has said it wants air taxi service to become competitive with ground transportation over time. A taxi trip between Midtown Manhattan and JFK can cost about $150 to $200.
The New York flights were conducted with the coordination of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is leading one of the projects selected under the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The program is intended to accelerate real-world testing and early operations for electric air taxis and other advanced aircraft.
“These demonstration flights are one data point in a larger body of work we’re building around next-generation electric aviation,” said Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia.
Joby said New York City heliport infrastructure will be appropriately fitted with recharging infrastructure ahead of commercial air taxi service. The company is also relying on Blade Air Mobility’s passenger network, which Joby acquired in 2025, as part of its New York strategy.
Joby said it continues to work through the final stages of FAA certification, which could come later in 2026.
