Joby’s all-electric air taxi in flight above the company’s flight test facility in Marina, California. Credit: Joby Aviation
A Joby trip from Heathrow Airport to central London could take as little as 8 minutes. Credit: Joby Aviation
An illustration of what a future Joby air taxi network centered around London and Virgin Atlantic’s hub at Heathrow Airport could look like. Credit: Joby Aviation
An illustration of what a future Joby air taxi network centered around Manchester and Virgin Atlantic’s hub at Manchester Airport could look like. Credit: Joby Aviation
Joby’s all-electric air taxi at the company’s flight test facility in Marina, California. Credit: Joby Aviation
Partnership will deliver revolutionary, emissions-free travel in the UK, including greater connectivity for Virgin Atlantic customers traveling to and from the airport
Virgin Atlantic to support Joby’s preparations for operation in the UK
Agreement builds on Virgin Atlantic’s track record of innovation and award-winning customer service
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. & LONDON, March 16, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a California-based company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced a partnership with Virgin Atlantic, a premium long-haul UK airline, that will see the companies partner on the launch of Joby’s revolutionary air taxi service in the UK.
The partnership builds on an existing agreement between Joby and Delta Air Lines – which owns a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic – to launch service in the US and UK, and brings together brands committed to innovation, customer service and challenging the status quo.
The partnership aims to offer seamless, zero-emission, short-range journeys across the UK, starting with regional and city connections from Virgin Atlantic’s hubs at Heathrow and Manchester Airport. Virgin Atlantic will support Joby’s go-to-market efforts in the UK through marketing the service to their customers, engaging regulators alongside Joby and helping to build support for the development of landing infrastructure at key airports.
Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph and the partnership means Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to reserve a seat on Joby’s aircraft through Virgin Atlantic’s app, website and other channels.
Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said: "As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flight to airports and cities throughout the UK. Our strategic partnership combines Joby’s expertise in design, engineering and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Joby’s service to the UK and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers."
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, commented: "Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to delighting its customers reflects our experience with Delta and we couldn’t imagine a better partner to work with in the UK. Together, we are committed to delivering faster options for mobility across the country, including for Virgin Atlantic and Delta customers as they head to the airport or move between UK towns and cities."
Joby’s electric air taxi utilizes six tilting propellers that allow it to take off and land vertically with a fraction of the noise produced by today’s helicopters. The aircraft is optimized for rapid, back-to-back flights and is expected to be deployed on routes of up to 100 miles. Joby has completed thousands of test flights, including exhibition flights in New York City, Japan and Korea.
Journeys in the UK could include a 15-minute flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds, or an 8-minute journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf, instead of 80 minutes by car. Over time, Joby expects to build out a network of landing locations that offer rapid and convenient travel around cities and communities throughout the UK. Joby expects to offer prices that are comparable with existing premium ground ridesharing options at launch.
In 2022, Joby and Delta Air Lines announced a multi-city, commercial and operational partnership to pioneer community-to-airport transportation for customers. While the Joby/Delta partnership is mutually exclusive across the US and UK for at least five years following commercial launch, the partnership has been extended to include Virgin Atlantic in the UK.
Joby exhibited its aircraft for the first time in the UK at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, and in July 2022 announced that it formally applied to have its aircraft validated for use by the UK Civil Aviation Authority ("CAA").
Media assets, including photos and footage of Joby’s aircraft as well as illustrative route networks in the UK, are available here.
About Joby
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2024, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the eighth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs 8,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 30 destinations across four continents throughout the year.
Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in March 2023 as the global airline alliance’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance’s transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.
Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact. The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, with an average age under seven years. In October 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed its first A330-900’s to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2028. In November 2023, the airline led a consortium to deliver the world’s first flight across the Atlantic on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), demonstrating that 100% SAF can be used safely as a drop in fuel in existing infrastructure, engines and airframes. The need to scale production is an industry imperative and Virgin Atlantic is committed to radical collaboration across the energy chain to support commercialization ahead of 2030.
For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, X and Instagram @virginatlantic.
Forward Looking Statements
This press 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, our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; plans for, and potential benefits of, our strategic partnerships, including plans to form a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic to launch and operate an air taxi service across the United Kingdom, potential routes for such service and expected timing and pricing for such routes; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations. 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; complexities related to obtaining certification and operating in foreign markets; 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, 2025, 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.
