The first electric air taxi flights in New York have been completed by Joby Aviation Inc (NYSE:JOBY) and Volocopter from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport as part of its plan to bring "quiet, emissions-free flights" to the Big Apple.
New York City mayor Eric Adams announced at the exhibition flight that a new request has been made to seek an operator to upgrade the city-owned heliport to host electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as well as last-mile freight delivery.
Joby and Volocopter both conducted piloted demonstration flights of their eVTOL aircraft.
Mayor Adams said his vision is to “create the world’s first heliport with infrastructure for electric-powered aircraft and put this public asset to work for New Yorkers as a hub for sustainable transportation and local deliveries".
He said it would not only reduce helicopter noise, “but also get trucks off the road and make our streets safer”.
Joby has a partnership with Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) that is in talks with the Port Authority of New York and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) as part of their plans to make New York one of its first launch markets, after receiving certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its piloted, four-passenger electric aircraft.
Its aircraft, which it says has zero operating emissions, can fly up to 100 miles on a single charge, covering 99% of all trips taken today across New York City’s five boroughs as well as cutting the time, for example, of a trip from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy airport down to seven minutes compared to around an hour by car.
California-based Joby said it and Delta are working with the Port Authority and EDC on the plan for initial operations, including the development of infrastructure at JFK and LaGuardia airport, building on recent investments Delta has made in upgrading its New York hubs.
“Delivering exceptional experiences for our customers is why Delta has invested over $7B in New York City, especially at our LaGuardia and JFK hubs,” said Gail Grimmett, Delta's SVP of sustainability performance and strategic partnerships.
Joby's European arm also is developing a hydrogen-powered aircraft that it claims could fly from London to Italy, following a series of test flights powered by liquid hydrogen, including one that lasted for more than three hours.
Volocopter, meanwhile, is a German-US company that has been testing its own aircraft in the States since 2018, when it conducted its maiden flight in Las Vegas.
Having made its NYC debut, it hopes to soon receive a final certification for its VoloCity commercial aircraft (see pic below) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2024.
The company said it is also undergoing the validation process with the US FAA, which was submitted in 2020.
