India, July 25 -- Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, and Virgin Atlantic, a premium long-haul UK airline, signed a definitive agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow, formalizing the partnership the companies first announced in 2025 to bring Joby's air taxi service to the UK.

The Partnership

- Virgin Atlantic has signed a multi-year, binding agreement with Joby Aviation to bring electric air taxi services to the UK.

- Virgin Atlantic becomes Joby's exclusive airline partner for air taxi services in the UK.

- This builds on Joby's existing partnership with Delta Air Lines (which owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic).

Launch Locations & Routes

- Initial hubs: London Heathrow and Manchester Airport.

- Early routes:

- Heathrow -> Central London in ~8 minutes (vs. over an hour by car).

- Manchester -> Leeds in ~15 minutes.

- Expansion planned across more UK cities over time.

Customer Integration

- Virgin Atlantic will integrate Joby's air taxi service into its booking platforms (website, app).

- Travelers can book air taxi connections alongside their long-haul flights.

- Virgin will leverage its customer base and airport relationships to support rollout.

Technology & Certification

- Joby's aircraft: all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), with six tilting propellers.

- Designed for short routes up to 100 miles, rapid turnaround, and much quieter than helicopters.

- Thousands of test flights already completed, including demos in San Francisco and New York.

- Certification progressing under the FAA-UK CAA Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement.

Public Engagement

- A full-scale Joby aircraft model was displayed in......

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Travel Media.