by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:45 AM ET, Wed October 12, 2022
Delta Air Lines announced a new multi-year partnership with Joby Aviation, Inc. to deliver home-to-airport transportation services, beginning in New York and Los Angeles.
The two companies will work together to integrate a Joby-operated service into Delta's customer-facing channels, providing customers who travel with the airline through New York and Los Angeles the opportunity to reserve a seat for short-range journeys to and from city airports.
As part of the agreement, the airline made an upfront equity investment of $60 million in Joby, with the opportunity to expand the total investment up to $200 million as the partners achieve milestones on the development and delivery of the service.
"Delta always looks forward and embraces opportunities to lead the future, and we've found in Joby a partner that shares our pioneering spirit and commitment to delivering innovative, seamless experiences that are better for our customers, their journeys, and our world," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said.
The partnership was designed to create a premium experience for Delta customers featuring seamless booking, simplified transit and greater time savings. The deal will also be mutually exclusive across the United States and the U.K. for five years following the commercial launch.
Joby's aircraft is designed to fly fast and sustainable trips in and around cities. The aircraft has flown more than 1,000 test flights, demonstrating its range, speed, altitude and low noise profile.
"This is a groundbreaking opportunity for Delta to deliver a time-saving, uniquely premium home-to-airport solution for customers in key markets we've been investing and innovating in for many years," Bastian continued.
On Tuesday, Delta expanded its Air+Rail program to include more travel options to Europe, including connections to 20 more destinations. The program's expansion features 12 new cities for customers in The Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and the U.K, enabling connectivity directly from Brussels, Manchester, Rome Fiumicino and Zurich airports with one ticket booking for the whole journey.
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