Aviation Week reports, “The prospect of flying premium passengers direct to airport terminals in clean, quiet electric air taxis has moved a step closer, but significant progress must still be made if it is to become a reality. In early August, Joby Aviation agreed to acquire the passenger business of urban helicopter service provider Blade Air Mobility.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: eVTOL
Electric Air Taxis Expected to Reach Operational Scale by 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
Flying Magazine reports, “The FAA’s Innovate28 blueprint forecasts 2028 as the year electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis reach operational scale in major U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles. The City of Angels is slated to host the 2028 Olympic Games that summer,” but more work is needed before they fly at the games.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
North Carolina Partners with Georgia to Study AAM ‘Interstate in the Sky’
Flying Magazine reports, “The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Division of Aviation and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) are joining forces to study a first-of-its-kind testbed for autonomous, electric, and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The state transportation departments announced a partnership to create the nation’s first “interstate in the sky” for AAM aircraft, including uncrewed drones and eVTOL air taxis. The proposed corridor is intended to serve as a “real-world testbed” for the technology and could one day bring commercial AAM passenger and cargo operations to the Southeast.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
NASA Simulating Air Taxi Crashes to Study Materials for New Generation of eVTOL
Flying Magazine reports, “NASA researchers are simulating crashes to study the optimal materials for a new generation of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis. Per a recent media release, the space agency in June dropped a full-scale aircraft body—modeled after an eVTOL air taxi—from a 35-foot gantry at its Langley Research Center in Virginia.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Joby Delivers First Electric Air Taxi to UAE
Flying Magazine reports, “Before arriving in the U.S., electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis are expected to debut in the Middle East. This week, they moved one step closer. Joby Aviation, developer of the piloted, four-passenger S4, on Monday announced it delivered its first air taxi to the United Arab Emirates. Joby has a six-year agreement with the Emirate of Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) that it says gives it exclusive rights to operate an air taxi service in the area. The company anticipates the UAE’s first passenger-carrying S4 flights in 2026, slightly later than the initial 2025 target it set when that deal was announced.
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Archer Aviation’s Midnight Nearing Commercial Rollout
Yahoo Finance reports, “Archer Aviation “is aiming to transform urban air mobility through its flagship aircraft, Midnight. Built for short, frequent flights of 20–50 miles, Midnight aircraft is nearing its commercial rollout following a handful of regulatory approvals and strategic partnerships ACHR has signed lately. In June 2025, Archer Aviation signed a strategic partnership with Jetex to develop infrastructure at the latter’s network of private terminals for facilitating Midnight jet’s upcoming commercial air taxi operations.”
Full Story (Yahoo Finance)
Opportunities in Defense, Healthcare, Cargo Offer Chance to Expedite Reality of Flying Taxis
Reuters reports, “Opportunities in defence, emergency healthcare and cargo could help make flying taxis a reality in the next few years after the sector recently received backing from the Trump administration, executives in the industry said at the Paris Airshow. President Donald Trump this month told regulators to speed up certification to accelerate the development of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), aiming to secure a U.S. lead over Asia in the technology.”
Full Story (Reuters)
FAA Partners with Regulators in Four Countries to Develop Air Taxi Certification ‘Roadmap’
Flight Global reports the Federal Aviation Administration and agencies in four partner countries have rolled out a ‘roadmap’ for the type certification of electric air taxis. “The air taxi certification roadmap, revealed by [U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean] Duffy on 17 June, comes from the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK – all members of the National Aviation Authorities Network.”
Full Story (Flight Global)
Bristow Doubles Pre-Orders of Vertical Aerospace’s VX-4
Flight Global reports, “Vertical Aerospace is to join forces with Bristow Group to establish what is effectively a wet-leasing operation focused on the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer’s VX4. An expansion of an existing ‘strategic partnership’ dating from 2021, the agreement also sees helicopter operator Bristow double its pre-orders and options for the VX-4, increasing both to as many as 50 units.”
Full Story (Flight Global)
New Executive Order Aims to Usher in New Generation of U.S. Aircraft
Flying Magazine reports, “President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that aims to usher in a new generation of drones, self-flying planes, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis while shutting out “unfair foreign competition” from countries like China. The order, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” contains a package of measures designed to bolster the U.S. drone industry by lifting restrictions and streamlining manufacturing, testing, and access for American-built uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)