Virgin Atlantic has announced a partnership with California-based electric aerial vehicle manufacturer Joby Aviation to launch an air taxi service in the UK.
Virgin Atlantic has announced a partnership with California-based electric aerial vehicle manufacturer Joby Aviation to launch an air taxi service in the UK.
It is announced that it will be possible to fly from Heathrow Airport to the London business district of Canary Wharf in 8 minutes, and the flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds will take 15 minutes, The Verge reports .
The all-electric Joby flying vehicle has six rotors and seats five, including the pilot. The vehicle can take off vertically like a helicopter and then transition to straight flight.
Joby claims that the flying electric taxi will be able to reach a top speed of 200 miles per hour and fly 150 miles on a single battery charge.
As part of the partnership, customers will be able to book a seat in one of Joby’s flying taxis through the Virgin Atlantic website and app. The aircraft will be co-branded by Joby and Virgin Atlantic.
But in the UK, Joby will have to wait to receive the relevant certificates.
Joby plans to create a network of passenger pick-up points across the UK and wants to offer prices that are comparable to «existing premium ground-based ride-sharing options at launch.»
However, air taxi operators face a number of hurdles before their projects can become a reality. These hurdles include, first and foremost, compliance with airport and airspace safety regulations. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has begun considering how these airport regulations should be re-evaluated for air taxi flights.
Virgin Atlantic is not the first airline to partner with Joby. In 2022, Delta Air Lines invested $200 million in the startup. Last year, Toyota also announced that it would invest $500 million in Joby.
In addition to Joby, companies such as Archer Aviation, Volocopter and Beta Technologies have also said they are on the verge of launching services. Joby, meanwhile, said it has made record progress in completing four of the five milestones required for commercial passenger transportation in the US and plans to start carrying its first passengers late this year or early next year.
As dev.ua wrote, German air taxi manufacturer Lilium almost closed, but investors created a «Christmas miracle.»
