Piloted Demonstration of Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft Operates Between JFK and Manhattan Heliports, Marking Latest Milestone in Port Authority’s Ongoing Evaluation of Next-Generation Electric Aviation

Flight Follows Agency’s Selection for Landmark Federal Program Advancing Next-Generation Aircraft Development

New York City Stop is Part of Joby’s 2026 National Demonstration Tour as Company Advances Toward Federal Aviation Administration Certification

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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Joby Aviation today announced the first point-to-point electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft demonstration flights at Port Authority airports, with Joby’s aircraft operating between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and several sites across the city’s existing heliport network, including the Downtown Skyport and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports in Midtown, before returning to JFK. The flights, which are operating through some of the most complex airspace in the world, are supported by Tru Weather, providing operational weather intelligence, and monitored by NUAIR, which is providing live tracking support to ensure safe integration into the region’s airspace.

The milestone flight reflects the Port Authority’s continued commitment to safety and innovation by advancing next-generation transportation solutions and builds on the agency’s aggressive agenda to reach net-zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2050. It follows the agency’s 2025 partnership with BETA Technologies on the first all-electric passenger aircraft flight to land at a Port Authority airport, and the agency’s selection earlier this year for the Federal Aviation Administration’s first-of-its-kind electric aircraft integration pilot program.

“The bridges, tunnels, airports, and rail lines that the Port Authority operates move hundreds of millions of people through this region every year, and our job is to make sure that network keeps pace with the future,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “This cutting-edge aircraft is exactly the kind of innovation we have a responsibility to demonstrate, understand, and help shape for the good of the region and the public. These flights advance our work to determine how next-generation aviation technology can serve the people of New York and New Jersey.”

“We operate some of the busiest airports in the world, and with that comes a responsibility to think seriously about what aviation looks like in the decades ahead for our passengers, for our communities, and for the environment,” said Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia. “This demonstration flight is one data point in a larger body of work we’re building around next-generation electric aviation, and it reflects our conviction that responsible exploration of these technologies now is how we prepare this region for the future.”

“New York has always been a city that defines the future by demanding better,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “We first flew here in 2023, and now, building on years of experience moving people across this city, we’re showing what the next chapter looks like: a quiet, zero operating emissions air taxi service designed to better serve New Yorkers. This week, in coordination with the FAA’s eIPP program office and alongside the Port Authority, we proved what that future can look like by flying between JFK and Manhattan.”

The demonstration was conducted under a request for innovation the Port Authority issued in December 2023, through which the agency invited leading aerospace companies to demonstrate next-generation aircraft at its facilities with the goal of better understanding their capabilities, infrastructure requirements, and potential applications in the New York-New Jersey region. The agency is also actively seeking private partners to design, build and operate a vertiport at LaGuardia Airport for eVTOL operations. The Port Authority is committed to the continued and safe exploration of Advanced Air Mobility’s feasibility and utility as the technology develops.

Joby’s aircraft is one of a new generation of aircraft that the industry refers to as advanced air mobility (AAM), often electric and capable of vertical takeoff and landing. AAM technology is designed to move people and goods more efficiently within and between urban areas. With its lower cost of operation compared to traditional aircraft, AAM technology has the potential to reduce noise pollution, ease congestion, improve air quality and connect communities. The technology remains in active development and is subject to ongoing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) review and certification processes.

The Port Authority has been building a track record as a test environment for next-generation electric aviation. Earlier this year, the Port Authority was selected to take part in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program, or eIPP, a first-of-its-kind federal initiative designed to accelerate the safe integration of electric aircraft into the national airspace system. Joby was named a partner in five eIPP programs across 12 states. Additionally, in June 2025, the agency partnered with Vermont-based BETA Technologies on the first all-electric aircraft passenger flight to land at a Port Authority airport, when BETA’s ALIA conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft completed a 45-minute flight to JFK carrying a pilot and four passengers.

Joby Aviation is a California-based aerospace company currently in the final stages of FAA type certification, having completed more than 50,000 miles of flight testing across its fleet. Its aircraft is designed to produce a significantly lower noise footprint than conventional helicopters, with an acoustic signature intended to blend into the ambient sounds of dense urban environments. The New York flights are part of Joby’s 2026 national demonstration tour and follow the recent inaugural flight of the company’s conforming aircraft for Type Inspection Authorization — a milestone that will allow FAA pilots to conduct for-credit test flights as Joby moves through the final stages of the certification process.