Virgin Atlantic has announced a partnership with California -based Judy Judy To launch the UK Air Cars Service, to become the latest flight to bet on a new category of electrical aircraft competing to become taxis in the sky.
Joby aircraft all contain six rounds and five seats, including the pilot. The car can take off vertically, such as a helicopter, then turn into a flight forward using tilt rounds. Jobi says it can reach a top speed of 200 miles per hour, traveling 150 miles on one battery shipment, 100 times more than a traditional plane.
Under the partnership, customers will be able to reserve and apply a seat on one of Joby’s multi -cycles through Virgin Atlantic Website. Vehicles will be distinguished with Jobi and Virgin Atlantic slogans. But the UK service will need to wait Until Jobi gets a type certificateAnd, which means that the plane meets all FAA design and safety standards, and then launched its US -based service.
Under the partnership, customers will be able to reserve and apply a seat on one of Joby’s multi -cycles through Virgin Atlantic Website.
Air taxi operators face a number of obstacles before they become a reality, including safety and airport designs. Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority has begun to consider how airports need to re -evaluate air car flights, including shipping and air spaces.
Jobi and Vergin Atlantic imagine a 15 -minute flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds, or 8 minutes from Heathrow Airport to Canary Warf. Joby plans for a network of landing sites throughout the UK, and expects to offer comparable prices with “unique land involvement options at all”.
Air taxis, which are sometimes known to the main media as “flying cars”, are mainly helicopters without noisy gas engines (although they definitely have a unique noise image). In addition to Joby, like companies like Artcher Aviationand VolocopterBeta Technologies has claimed that she is on the threshold of launching services that will eventually do the country. But others have stumbled. The German company Lilium recently said that two of its subsidiaries They were insolvent and could stop operations.
Jobi recently said that she made record progress Upon completion of four of the five stages required to serve the commercial passengers in the United States, it is expected that its first passengers will carry in late this year or early. The company also delivered a second plane to the US Air Force as part of the test partnership.
Jobi got a batch recently, when The Federal Aviation Administration was published Very expected Final regulations For EVTOL vehicles that they will plan for the “Air Travel for the Future”. But it is not clear whether these rules will enter into force after that The Federal Aviation Administration ordered to stop temporarily To allow the Trump administration to review it. A long review can extend the Joby’s schedule until after the target date of 2025 it set for the launch of the taxi service.
