• Joby Aviation must secure certification from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority before launching its electric air taxi service in the country.
  • Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to book Joby’s air taxis through the airline’s app and website, starting with routes from Heathrow and Manchester.

Joby Aviation is set to introduce electric air taxis in the United Kingdom through a new partnership with Virgin Atlantic. This marks the seventh country where the California-based eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) company aims to launch commercial operations.

The partnership comes as Joby works toward launching services in the United Arab Emirates and the United States. While no specific timeline has been provided, a spokesperson confirmed that operations in the U.K. would commence after the company’s market testing in Dubai, expected to start late this year or early next.

Regulatory Challenges Ahead

Before launching in the U.K., Joby must secure necessary certifications from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority. The company applied for aircraft validation in July 2022.

In the U.S., Joby is still in the process of obtaining certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, which could impact its planned 2025 launch in New York or Los Angeles.

Exclusive Partnership with Virgin Atlantic

Under this agreement, Joby will serve as Virgin Atlantic’s exclusive airline distribution partner in the U.K. The partnership falls within Joby’s existing deal with Delta Air Lines, which owns nearly half of Virgin.

Delta has already invested $60 million in Joby, with an option to invest up to $200 million more based on performance milestones.

Connecting Major U.K. Airports

Virgin customers will eventually be able to book flights on Joby’s aircraft through the airline’s app and website. Initial routes will focus on connecting London’s Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport, with plans to expand to a broader network of vertiports.

With plans to operate in the U.S., U.K., UAE, South Korea, Japan, India, and Australia, Joby continues its push toward revolutionizing air travel with electric air taxis.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah