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Electric air taxis are now moving closer to real-world use, completing test flights designed to turn hour-long commutes into trips lasting just minutes.
Joby Aviation, Inc., said it completed what it described as the first point-to-point electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi demonstration flights in New York City, the company shared in a press release.
The California-based company said its aircraft departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport and landed across the city’s heliport network, including the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports in Midtown, demonstrating trips of under 10 minutes.
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The test runs marked “the start of a week-long public campaign across the city’s existing heliport network,” the company said in its release.
Joby said its air taxis, which produce no operating emissions and run quietly, “will be able to connect the region, linking vertiports, international airports, and communities across the New York metropolitan area.”
The company worked with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to launch the test flights, which trace some routes it envisions for future service.
Kevin O’Toole, Port Authority chairman, said the agency’s role is to ensure its transportation network “keeps pace with the future.”
O’Toole added, “This cutting-edge aircraft is exactly the kind of innovation we have a responsibility to test, understand, and help shape for the good of the region and the public.”
The “future of advanced air mobility is no longer a Jetsons-esque fantasy.”
“These flights advance our work to determine how next-generation aviation technology can serve the people of New York and New Jersey.”
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The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) interim president said the electric flights “mark a real milestone.”
“These historic Joby flights, linking our city-owned heliport to our airports, [are] proof that the future of advanced air mobility is no longer a Jetsons-esque fantasy — it’s already here,” said NYCEDC president Jeanny Pak.
“In terms of the price point, our target is to be competitive with ground transportation over time,” Joby Aviation’s CEO JoeBen Bevirt told NBC News.
Ride-share prices researched by Fox News Digital indicate that trips between JFK and Midtown can cost $150 to $250, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions.
A handful of social media users weighed in on the flights under Joby’s X post.
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“Epic views,” one X user said.
“Can I get a ride?” another asked.
One user was more critical, calling the New York City area’s airports “the worst in the country to reach.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Joby Aviation for further comment and information.
Sumner Park of Fox Business Network contributed reporting.
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