Flying taxis could soon soar across NYC skies

Photo from jobyaviation/Instagram

More often than not, when imagining the future as kids, flying cars are always in the picture. That might be a reality in New York City as it got an early taste of this futuristic appeal with the launch of flying taxis.

On Nov. 12, Sunday, Joby Aviation and Volocopter gave New Yorkers a sneak peek of what the future could look like with a soaring demonstration of their electric flying taxis over the iconic New York City skyline.

The eVTOL aircraft is a four-passenger electric aerial vehicle that can fly up to 100 miles in just one full charge.

Just when it seemed like traffic jams are an unavoidable part of NYC lives (the city is after all one of the most congested cities in the world where New Yorkers lose 117 hours in traffic), here comes aircraft company Joby with its partnership with Delta Airlines to bring a solution people might not have expected.

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Imagine cutting your travel time from Manhattan to JFK Airport in a solid seven minutes; that’s what Joby CEO and founder JoeBen Bevirt pledged in a press release.

Joby’s commercial flying taxis are planned to take off in 2025, promising an easier “commute” for New Yorkers.

In the same conference, Mayor Eric Adams revealed the plans to electrify two of the three heliports in Manhattan—one on East 34th Street and the other in Downtown Manhattan.

That said, Bevirt agreed that by doing so, “New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel.”

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Volocopter meanwhile also flew and demonstrated its aircraft at the New York heliport for the media. The aircraft company has already been flying across other US states.

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Flying taxis and its charging stations

At the same event, Beta Technologies from Burlington, Vermont wasn’t left out as they also featured their aircraft charging technology.

A power-up station for the flying taxis, Beta’s Charge charging technology is planned to be installed at the New York heliport. Hence, Joby Aviation and its investor Delta Airlines would have no problem flying their aircraft as part of their “city-to-airport service” with Los Angeles and New York as the project’s pioneers.

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Accessible air mobility isn’t just the be all, end all of the initiative. The city is also planning to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent in 2050.

“We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers, while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise,” Bevirt said.