Joby Aviation, Inc. is planning demonstration flights of its electric air taxi between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Manhattan this week, aiming to showcase its quieter, zero-emission aircraft. According to the company, these will be the first point-to-point electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) flights in New York. The company conducted test flights from a downtown Manhattan helipad in 2023. This week, the aircraft will fly along an existing helicopter route operated by Blade Urban Air Mobility, a division of Joby, without any passengers on board.

Joby Aviation, Inc.'s electric air taxi flying over New York City. CEO JoeBen Bevirt stated that Joby plans to begin passenger flights as early as the second half of this year in New York, Texas, and Florida. However, the company requires approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to commence commercial operations in the United States and has previously delayed its targets multiple times. Bevirt mentioned in an interview that the air taxi is "one hundred times quieter than a helicopter." He explained that, unlike helicopters which produce low-frequency noise that can vibrate buildings and cause disturbance, Joby's aircraft is designed to produce "a broadband noise that blends into the background and decays more rapidly with distance." The company will conduct multiple flights over a 10-day period as part of its promotional efforts. The flight routes will connect JFK Airport to Blade lounges at West 30th Street and East 34th Street in Hudson Yards, as well as to the downtown helipad.