Air taxis have been promised to consumers since at least the Jetsons, and that world is one step closer to reality, after Joby Aviation flew a piloted electric vehicle test in Florida.
The next generation aviation company, headquartered in California, is performing a weeklong series of piloted electric air taxi flights across Florida, and began with a flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport on Friday morning.
The Florida Department of Transportation project was one of eight chosen nationwide, with multiple industry partners. There will be three phases nationwide, focusing on passenger transportation, cargo delivery, automation, and medical response.
Joby plans to fly in the first planned hubs of Florida’s planned Aerial Highway Network. The flights include:
- Between Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) in downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa International Airport (TPA)
- At Orlando International Airport (MCO)’s new eVOTL landing site near Terminal C and the train station
- At Kennedy Space Center, at the Shuttle Landing Facility
“More than a century ago, Florida made history with the world’s first commercial airline flight. Today, Florida is helping lead the next generation in aviation,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “From Tampa Bay to Orlando and the Space Coast, we’re giving Floridians a glimpse of a future where quiet, all-electric aircraft make it easier and faster to connect the places people live, work and visit. Florida has the vision, the destinations and the ambition to lead this transformation, and we’re proud to work alongside FDOT to turn that vision into reality.”
Blade, a wholly owned subsidiary of Joby, has flown passengers between New York and South Florida since 2015 and will relaunch its BLADEone jet service to Miami and Palm Beach in November in partnership with private jet airline Aero.
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