It seems that the Electric Air Taxi dream is still alive, with Joby and Virgin Atlantic signing a multi-year agreement that builds on Joby’s existing exclusivity arrangement with Delta Air Lines.
The agreement formalises the partnership the companies first announced in 2025 to bring Joby’s air taxi service to the UK.
The agreement converts the partnership announced in 2025 into a binding, multi-year commercial framework, establishing Virgin Atlantic as Joby’s exclusive airline partner for air taxi services in the UK. The collaboration builds on Joby’s existing partnership with Delta Air Lines, which holds a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic, bringing together three brands focused on faster, more convenient travel across the UK.
In 2022, Joby and Delta announced a multi-city partnership to pioneer community-to-airport transportation, which is mutually exclusive across the US and UK. Delta and Virgin Atlantic operate as partners across a shared transatlantic network, and Joby’s UK partnership with Virgin Atlantic complements and expands its partnership with Delta.
Under the agreement, Virgin Atlantic will offer Joby’s air taxi service through its booking platforms, including mobile app and website. This will allow travelers in the UK to book a seamless air taxi connection alongside their long-haul flights.
Joby plans to launch service at Virgin Atlantic’s hubs in London and Manchester, with Manchester anchoring Joby’s connections across the North of England. Early routes are expected to include Manchester Airport to Leeds in approximately 15 minutes and Heathrow to Central London in as little as 8 minutes, journeys that take over an hour by car today.
Joby will retain sole responsibility for aircraft operations, route management, and securing UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulatory approvals, while Virgin Atlantic will support infrastructure integration and customer acquisition at both hubs. Over time, Joby expects to expand this network to a wide range of cities and communities across the UK.
In Quotes
Corneel Koster, CEO of Virgin Atlantic.
“This agreement marks an exciting next chapter in our partnership with Joby and a significant step towards bringing electric air taxi services to the UK,” said
“Together, we’ll create more seamless journeys for our customers, making it easier than ever to travel between towns, cities and our airports. Innovation has always been part of Virgin Atlantic’s DNA, and we’re proud to partner with Joby to help shape the future of travel while delivering the premium customer experience we’re known for.”
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation.
“Virgin Atlantic’s dedication to a world-class customer experience makes them the right partner to represent Joby in the UK, and this agreement reflects the next step in that relationship,” said
”The UK is one of the most exciting markets for this technology, and this partnership could drive significant opportunities for Joby as we bring air taxi service to some of the country’s busiest cities.”
But how many people can fly in one of those Air Taxis?
For those dreaming that this is the future of mass transit, I’m here to break your bubble.
How many people do you think those air taxis carry?
Correct: Payload of five souls, made up of one pilot, four passengers with four carry-on bags.
Hardly mass transit. More like “Modern Helicopter Transfer”. And those work in limited circumstances around the world (notable examples include the Hong Kong – Macau route, the Monaco to Nice Transfer, the New York City to Airport transfers by Blade, along with a few other options).
But these have a cost attached to them, with limited payload and a limited number of passengers that can be carried, along with minimal cargo which would have to follow along at a much slower pace.
And to deploy those networks over busy cities and airspaces (such as London), that could be a real headache.
Whilst your author is sure there will be those who will love these transfer options, they suspect it will be a limited market at best, which would beg the question of sustainability in the longer term.
Or maybe Joby has aces up its sleeves that can deliver a long-term sustainable service. We’ll have to see.
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