Electric aircraft maker Joby Aviation recently achieved a milestone with its exhibition flight at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City on Sunday (November 12), marking the city's first-ever electric air taxi flight and the first time Joby has flown in an urban setting.

"It seats a pilot and four passengers and flies at speeds of up to 200 miles an hour, and what that means is that a flight from here in Manhattan to JFK can take as little as 7 minutes," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. "These aircraft are game changers because they're dramatically quieter, which means that we can put takeoff and landing locations in more places around cities like New York."

Joby, in partnership with Delta Air Lines, aims to launch its air taxi service in New York, offering fast, emissions-free journeys, and reducing helicopter noise impact.

The company plans to begin commercial passenger service in 2025 and has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for flight testing, bringing it closer to commercial operations.

Unlike other electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers, which plan to sell aircraft to customers such as airlines and logistics companies, Joby's business model is similar to a rideshare app.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to electrify the heliport on Monday (November 13), positioning New York as a global leader in clean, quiet flight.

"Here, at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, we are going to establish the world's first heliport with infrastructure for electric powered helicopters of this nature -- the first one in this country," he said. "We're going to re-imagine the assets as a new hub for sustainable transportation. This is a bold new vision on what we want to accomplish as a city. We know how important it is to just also bring down the noise, and as I just learned, how far the noise can travel."

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