Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic Sign UK Air Taxi Agreement

Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic partnership

Joby Aviation, which is developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger services, and British airline Virgin Atlantic this week signed a definitive agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow. The deal formalises the partnership first announced by the companies in 2025, aimed at bringing Joby’s air taxi service to the UK.

The agreement turns the 2025 announcement into a binding, multi-year commercial commitment and names Virgin Atlantic as Joby’s exclusive airline partner for UK air taxi services. It builds on Joby’s existing relationship with Delta Air Lines, which holds a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic, bringing together three brands focused on making travel across the UK faster and more convenient.

In 2022, Joby and Delta revealed a multi-city partnership to pioneer community-to-airport transport, which is mutually exclusive in the US and UK. Delta and Virgin Atlantic operate as partners within a shared transatlantic network, while Joby’s arrangement with Virgin Atlantic complements and broadens its partnership with Delta.

“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 Corneel Koster, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Atlantic. “Together, we will create more seamless journeys for our customers, making it easier than ever to travel between cities and our airports. Innovation has always been part of Virgin Atlantic’s DNA, and we are proud to partner with Joby to help shape the future of travel while delivering the premium customer experience for which we are known.”

“Virgin Atlantic’s commitment 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 JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joby Aviation. “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.”

Booking Joby air taxi journeys with Virgin Atlantic

Under the agreement, Virgin Atlantic will make Joby’s air taxi service available through its booking platforms, including its mobile app and website. This will allow UK travellers to book a seamless air taxi connection alongside their long-haul flights.

Joby intends to launch services from Virgin Atlantic’s hubs in London and Manchester, with Manchester serving as the base for Joby’s connections across the North of England. Expected initial routes include Manchester Airport to Leeds in around 15 minutes, and Heathrow to Central London in only 8 minutes-journeys that currently take more than an hour by road.

Joby will retain sole responsibility for aircraft operations, route management and securing regulatory approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK-CAA). Virgin Atlantic, meanwhile, will support infrastructure integration and customer acquisition at both hubs. Over time, Joby expects to extend the network to serve a broad range of cities and communities across the UK.

Joby aircraft and UK certification progress

At the start of July, members of the public were able to experience Joby’s aircraft first-hand when a full-scale model was displayed at Potters Fields Park in London, directly opposite Tower Bridge. Visitors could sit inside the aircraft and picture a future flight from that location to Heathrow taking only a few minutes.

Joby’s aircraft is fitted with six tilting propellers, enabling vertical take-off and landing while producing a fraction of the noise generated by helicopters. Designed for rapid, consecutive flights, it is expected to operate on routes of up to 160 km.

Joby has carried out thousands of test flights, including recent demonstrations in San Francisco and New York, where it flew point to point between JFK Airport and Manhattan. Certification of Joby’s aircraft is advancing under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the UK-CAA, building on the company’s 2022 validation application.

Information from Joby Aviation