Electric air taxi firm Joby Aviation has successfully flown test flights between airports in New York City, according to a press release. The trials pave the way for future, potentially daily, operations that the electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) company says could slash emissions and transform airport commutes in a city that is notoriously challenging to get around—and elsewhere.
Joby has partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to conduct the 10-day period of trials, which follow other test flights since 2023, but this time form part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
🚨 BREAKING: Joby Aviation has completed the first point-to-point electric air taxi flights in New York City, connecting JFK to Manhattan heliports in under 10 minutes. The flights are part of a White House-backed pilot program. pic.twitter.com/DxBKWId2cn
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 27, 2026
The so-called “point-to-point” tests took place on routes between midtown Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport that could one day become part of its normal operations. Kevin O’Toole, Port Authority chairman, said the agency’s role is to ensure its transportation network “keeps pace with the future,” justifying the work by adding: “This cutting-edge aircraft is exactly the kind of innovation we have a responsibility to test, understand, and help shape for the good of the region and the public. These flights advance our work to determine how next-generation aviation technology can serve the people of New York and New Jersey.”
The electric test flights were hailed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) interim president Jeanny Pak as “historic,” “a real milestone,” and “proof that the future of advanced air mobility is no longer a Jetsons-esque fantasy — it’s already here.”
The cost of ride-hailing and sharing between JFK and Midtown, researched by Fox News, is estimated at $150 to $250 (€127 and €214), a price Joby aims “to be competitive with” over time, Joby Aviation’s CEO JoeBen Bevirt told NBC News.
As already reported by Travel Tomorrow, Joby’s air taxis are designed to carry up to four passengers, are quiet, and generate no direct emissions. With six tilting propellers and fixed wings, the aircraft can take off vertically like a helicopter and then fly forward at speeds near 200 mph (320km/h), much faster than cars in city traffic. In March, Joby flew the taxis over the San Francisco Bay Area, in a showcase that buzzed landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands.
Other uses for eVTOL technology apart from air taxis and regional passenger transport include cargo services, including around offshore energy, emergency delivery operations such as meals or medical flights, and autonomous flights. These are also being tested.
