Joby Brings Its Vertical Takeoff and Landing Air Taxi to Florida
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Joby begins a week-long series of flights across Florida with its all-electric vertical lift air taxi, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation
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Flights are part of the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), accelerating the safe introduction of electric air taxis across the U.S.
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Campaign opens with a historic flight across Tampa Bay from downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport, retracing the world’s first scheduled commercial airline route
TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) today launches a week of piloted electric air taxi flights across Florida, taking its aircraft from Tampa to Orlando and on to the Space Coast. The aircraft will fly at Orlando International Airport and Kennedy Space Center, helping map the first phase of Florida’s planned Aerial Highway Network. These are Florida’s first flights under the White House-backed eIPP program, announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation in March 2026. The program brings government and industry together to accelerate the safe introduction of electric air taxis into U.S. airspace.
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Joby’s vertical lift electric air taxi flies over Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, Oct. 29, ahead of the state’s first eIPP flights (Photo: Joby Aviation)
Florida is where commercial aviation began more than a century ago, and this week it once again takes center stage as Joby launches its statewide flight campaign with a historic journey across Tampa Bay. The flight from downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport retraces the route flown on January 1, 1914, when aviation pioneer Tony Jannus carried former St. Petersburg Mayor Abe Pheil across the bay on the world’s first scheduled commercial airline flight. Floridians will have a front-row seat to the next chapter in aviation history as Joby brings its electric air taxi to the same skies. The milestone will be celebrated at Albert Whitted Park, where residents, families, tourists and aviation enthusiasts are invited to gather and watch the aircraft take flight and be part of a new moment in Florida’s aviation history.
The Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) project was one of eight selected nationwide and is a statewide effort with multiple industry partners, planned in three phases covering passenger transportation, cargo delivery, automation and medical response.
Florida has been preparing for this moment for years, FDOT has led statewide Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) planning since 2021. In April 2026, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1093, which allows FDOT to fund vertiport infrastructure statewide. FDOT is also building SunTrax Air, a dedicated AAM test campus off Interstate 4 that is home to the nation’s first dedicated AAM aerial test track, where AAM testing is planned to begin by the end of 2026. Together they make Florida an attractive place for Joby to operate, and this week’s eIPP flights are the first step toward commercial service in the state.
Throughout the week, Joby will fly in the first planned hubs of Florida’s Aerial Highway Network, the state’s planned intercity air taxi system*:
- Tampa Bay: Point-to-point flight on Oct. 30 from Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) in downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport (TPA). Community members are invited to watch the takeoff and a live stream of the flight from Albert Whitted Park beginning at 8:45 a.m., at a community event hosted by the City of St. Petersburg celebrating the world’s first scheduled commercial airline flight.
- Orlando: Flight at Orlando International Airport (MCO) landing near the airport’s Terminal C and Train Station at a new vertiport, a dedicated eVTOL landing site, flown on routes and enabled by procedures developed over two years of simulation with the FAA, NASA, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and Orlando air traffic controllers.
- Kennedy Space Center: Flight at the Shuttle Landing Facility during the UP.Summit, bringing the aircraft to the home of American spaceflight before industry leaders where the country’s aerospace ambitions launched more than 60 years ago.
*Schedule subject to change based on weather conditions and other factors.
“More than a century ago, Florida made history with the world’s first commercial airline flight. Today, Florida is helping lead the next generation in aviation,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “From Tampa Bay to Orlando and the Space Coast, we’re giving Floridians a glimpse of a future where quiet, all-electric aircraft make it easier and faster to connect the places people live, work and visit. Florida has the vision, the destinations and the ambition to lead this transformation, and we’re proud to work alongside FDOT to turn that vision into reality.”
“Florida is helping safely integrate these new aircraft into the airspace system and prove that the next great era of American aviation is already here,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Each flight provides crucial data and lessons learned that will help establish safety standards for everyday operations.”
“More than 100 years ago, Florida helped launch the commercial aviation industry. Today, we are helping shape the next era of flight,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “Through strategic investments, statewide planning, and partnerships with some of the industry’s top innovators, Florida is creating the infrastructure and policies needed to safely integrate Advanced Air Mobility into our transportation system. These flights demonstrate how we are turning vision into reality.”
Joby’s commitment to Florida predates this week’s flights. Blade, Joby’s wholly owned subsidiary, has flown passengers between the New York area and South Florida since 2015 and will relaunch its BLADEone jet service to Miami and Palm Beach in November in partnership with private jet airline Aero. This service gives Joby an established customer base, ground infrastructure and experience in the state as it prepares to introduce electric air taxi service.
Florida is the final stop on Joby’s 2026 Electric Skies Tour, a nationwide showcase celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary, following flights in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Dallas-Fort Worth and ending at Kennedy Space Center. As Joby continues to move through the final stages of FAA type certification, the eIPP flight campaign provides the FAA and state partners with critical operational data on airport integration, acoustics and vertiport procedures ahead of commercial launch.
Media Availability & Visual Assets
High-resolution b-roll video footage, flight photos, and route graphics are accessible via Joby’s Media Kit.
About Joby Aviation
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) is a next-generation aviation company based in California. Its aircraft, propulsion and autonomy technologies span both commercial aviation and defense applications. Joby also operates Blade, a leading urban air mobility business providing passenger transportation services in the United States and Europe. Joby intends to operate its fast, quiet and convenient air taxi service in cities around the world and sell its aircraft to other operators and partners. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing; expected benefits of and operations under the eIPP, including the expected timing and location of such operations; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations, including the expected benefits of our vertically-integrated business model. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 27, 2026, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on May 6, 2026, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates and beliefs as of the date of this release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261030490720/en/
Joby Media
Christine Theodorou
[email protected]
Joby Investors
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Florida
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Other Defense White House/Federal Government Aerospace Data Management State/Local Manufacturing Government Technology Technology Public Safety Apps/Applications Defense Public Policy/Government Air Transport Public Transport
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| Joby’s vertical lift electric air taxi flies over Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, Oct. 29, ahead of the state’s first eIPP flights (Photo: Joby Aviation) |
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