Joby Aviation Completes First Electric Air Taxi Flight In New York

Joby Aviation has just unveiled to New York City its new eVTOL solution with the full endorsement of Mayor Eric Adams. For New York City, hosting the first eVTOL service will reduce aviation emissions and noise while providing economic growth.

Capability demonstration

The Joby Aviation eVTOL endeavor took a significant leap forward in an exhibition flight on November 13 in collaboration with New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office. For Joby Aviation Founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt, in a November 13 statement,

We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise. By electrifying one of the most famous heliports in the world, New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel. We’re grateful for the support of the city, and we’re honored to be working with visionary partners like Delta Air Lines to bring our air taxi service to this market.

Joby Aviation plans on providing a seven-minute to ten-minute commute versus Uber’s hour-plus travel time by automobile for those who do not have the time or patience to use public transportation to get from an airport to downtown.

As mentioned by CEO Bevirt, Joby is partnering with Delta Air Lines with the airline making a $60 million investment in the company. In Joby Aviation notes that their aircraft can go 100 miles on a single charge, which covers 99% of helicopter trips taken in New York City.

Additionally, Delta Air Lines Gail Grimmett, SVP of Sustainability Performance and Strategic Partnerships at Delta Air Lines, voiced optimism after mentioning Delta Air Lines’ $7,000,000,000 investment in the airline’s hubs at La Guardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). To Grimmett, the announcement “Demonstrates great progress” for eVTOL.

But Blade is competing

But, there is a current helicopter airline providing connections between Manhattan and neighboring airports also planning to join the eVTOL revolution. That airline is Blade, and it is about to find itself overpriced, as per the tweet below:

The $130 is below Blade Aviation’s current pricing of $195 to take the trip in comfortable but loud Bell 407s – derivatives of Jet Rangers and Long Rangers that FLYNYON and other members of the New York City helicopter industry use.

However, as per the last photo above, Blade Aviation is also doing test flights of its own eVTOL ALIA-250 EVA. Indeed, with current air taxi services such as Blade using noisy, fossil fuel-dependent helicopters, there is an opportunity to provide an environmentally friendly alternative for New York City’s time-sensitive elites to get around.

New York City’s heliport renovation plans

The exhibition also announced New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his team’s Request for Proposal (RFP) to renovate the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) to be able to support eVTOL aircraft plus freight delivery – starting with a RFP. As Mayor Adams explains in a New York City government statement,

“Our vision for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport will 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. We will not only put New York City at the cutting edge of sustainable flight technology while addressing a persistent quality-of-life issue with helicopter noise, but also get trucks off the road and make our streets safer.”

Mayor Adams also spoke of the new jobs of mechanics and operators that would be created. For Adams, providing new opportunities to work in sustainability is a key priority.

Photo: Joby Aviation

To that end, the RFP linked below has requested proposals due by January 12, 2024, to support not just eVTOL operations but also maritime freight. The freight component is as NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball shared in the city’s statement;

“The Adams administration has been a leader in driving technology innovation and economic growth while simultaneously improving quality of life. NYCEDC’s new strategy for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport reflects these priorities while making it an industry leader in the embrace of eVTOLs — a quieter and greener helicopter alternative — while at the same time facilitating maritime freight with last-mile e-bike deliveries that will take trucks off the roads.”

This appears to be a good dual-use of precious waterfront publicly-owned real estate for sustainability.

Reducing noise impacts

One of the benefits of eVTOL versus current helicopters is the significantly reduced noise output. As Melissa Elstein, chairperson of Stop the Chop NY/NJ, was quoted in the New York City government statement;

“For too long, loud, low-flying, nonessential helicopters have been a major source of reduced quality of life for New Yorkers. The vision of a ‘quieter and more sustainable’ multimodal port with alternatives to fossil-fuel based helicopters and as a ‘hub for sustainable transportation’ is an important first step by Mayor Adams’ administration.”

Elstein’s enthusiasm is well-placed. Below is a Joby Aviation noise simulation of how its eVTOL can make less noise than a typical helicopter:

According to the Joby Aviation statement, Joby Aviation and NASA collaborated in 2022 to confirm a sound output of 45.2 A-weighted decibels (dBA) when flying overhead at an altitude of 1640 feet (500 meters), which is quieter than a typical conversation.

Bottom line

To Mayor Adams, the Joby is the “first evolution” of eVTOL technology as, “The starting point, not the ending point.” It appears that November 13 was the launch pad of a transition for New York City’s aviation to have quieter, zero-emission aviation assets come online.

Are you excited or concerned about what’s next? Please share with civility in the comments.

Sources: New York City Economic Development Corporation RFP, November 13 New York City Government statement