Delta Airlines will invest $60 million in Joby Aviation, a leading electric air taxi startup, to create a “home-to-airport” service using the startup’s five-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the companies announced Tuesday. Delta said its investment in Joby could go as high as $200 million if the company hits certain milestones.
Delta Airlines will invest up to $200 million in Joby Aviation to create a ‘home-to-airport’ air taxi service
The service, which will launch first in New York City and Los Angeles with other cities to follow, will be “mutually exclusive” across the US and UK for five years, with the option to extend that exclusivity for longer, the companies said. The home-to-airport service will exist in parallel to Joby’s currently nonexistent airport service, transporting passengers from cities to airports.
A 50 minute trip from Manhattan to JFK could take just 10 minutes
In a briefing with reporters, Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt said that a trip from Manhattan to JFK Airport, which can take as long as 50 minutes to an hour when traveling by car or subway, would take as little as 10 minutes when flying in one of the company’s five-passenger aircraft — “along with a really spectacular view,” he added. It’s a nice thought, but the truth of the matter is that the type of aircraft that Joby is developing — electric, low noise profile, cross between helicopter and drone — is not yet approved for any commercial service anywhere in the world.
Neither Delta nor Joby would disclose when they intend to launch the service, noting the lengthy regulatory process that