Flying between John F. Kennedy Airport and Manhattan\u2019s existing heliport network \u2014 including Downtown Skyport and the Blade Air Mobility lounge at the West 30th Street Heliport \u2014 Joby\u2019s aircraft, dubbed the N545JX, demonstrated routes that could one day shrink a 60-to-120-minute drive to JFK into a seven-minute flight.<\/p>\n
Joby stock rose about 3% on Monday.<\/p>\n
Eric Allison, Joby’s chief product officer, said it\u2019s a critical proof of concept, with the company targeting passenger flights as soon as the second half of 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is how we supercharge this. This is how we are able to scale, both in terms of the cost structure and in terms of the environmental friendliness of this,” Allison said to Yahoo Finance from the Blade Air Mobility lounge. \u201cThis is a zero-emissions aircraft, flying from JFK to here and back, but also incredibly low noise. We left the door open when we landed \u2014 if you left the door open when a helicopter landed, no one\u2019s happy in the lounge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reporters, Joby officials, and customers witnessed Monday\u2019s midday test flight from the Blade Air Mobility lounge in Midtown, where the company operates traditional helicopter flights, and, eventually, its eVTOL aircraft.<\/p>\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2d521d5f-3943-413e-b1ee-826e5488685f.jpeg\")
People prepare an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft by Joby Aviation at the John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura) \u00b7 ASSOCIATED PRESS <\/p>\n
That noise advantage is central to Joby\u2019s pitch. Unlike conventional helicopters, Joby\u2019s aircraft is designed to minimize sound. The all-electric propulsion system is also zero emissions, and Allison argues the aircraft can unlock markets that traditional helicopters can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are places where people don\u2019t want helicopters to land,\u201d he said. \u201cWith this type of technology, the convenience of vertical flight \u2014 being able to book a trip through the Uber app and fly at 200 miles an hour to the airport \u2014 you want that closer to you, and that\u2019s critically important for this business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joby acquired the passenger business of helicopter booking service Blade Air Mobility in 2025, gaining access to Blade\u2019s passengers and a network of Manhattan-area heliports.<\/p>\n
Read more:\u00a0Find the best travel credit cards for April 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Allison said this week that Blade customers waiting for helicopter flights to JFK saw the Joby aircraft land and asked if they could wait and take it instead.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just shows there\u2019s so much excitement around this that we just can\u2019t wait to get this thing launched,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Joby isn’t alone in the race. UK-based competitor Vertical Aerospace (EVTL<\/a>) has been developing its Valo aircraft<\/a>, targeting similar urban air mobility routes in Europe with airline partners including American Airlines (AAL<\/a>) and Virgin Atlantic. Joby has relationships with Delta Air Lines (DAL<\/a>), as well as Virgin Atlantic and Japan\u2019s ANA.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can only focus on what we\u2019re doing,\u201d Allison said when asked about Vertical Aerospace. \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this for a while \u2014 I think we\u2019re the leaders in this space. We understand the technology from top to bottom better than just about anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n Joby said FAA certification for its aircraft is advancing, and its first conforming aircraft is now in testing.<\/p>\n Pras Subramanian is Lead Auto Reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X<\/a> and on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market<\/a><\/p>\n Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/p>\n An electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft by Joby Aviation takes off at the John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 27, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura) \u00b7 ASSOCIATED PRESS <\/p>\n
Joby’s electric air taxi after it landed at the Blade Air Mobility lounge on Manhattan’s west side on April 27, 2026, in New York. \u00b7 Pras Subramanian <\/p>\n