Zippy, Futuristic Electric Air Taxis Are Coming To The UK

Dreamt-up images of the future always involve shiny skyscrapers interspersed with flying cars. And for the first time, it seems that tech-driven utopia is just beyond our fingertips. Premium British airline Virgin Atlantic has officially partnered up with a California aircraft company to bring its pioneering air taxi concept to the UK. Here’s what you need to know.

Virgin Atlantic Partners With Joby To Bring Air Taxis To The UK

British billionaire Richard Branson’s airline Virgin Atlantic has revealed an electric air taxi service could be launched in London ‘soon’, offering zero-emission trips across the capital in less than 10 minutes. The so-called ‘air taxi’ is fully electric, carrying a pilot and up to four passengers, and using six tilting propellers to travel at speeds of up to 200 mph and take off and land with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters.

Joby’s all-electric air taxi at the company’s flight test
facility in Marina, California. (© Joby Aviation)

The news comes thanks to a partnership with California-based company Joby Aviation and Delta Air Lines (which owns a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic), who will be pioneering the project in the US. Here in the UK, Joby’s space-age aircraft – which was first exhibited in the UK at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, after Joby applied to have it validated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority in summer 2022 – will be exclusively operated by Virgin Atlantic. The aircraft is expected to be deployed back-to-back on routes up to 100 miles, following thousands of successful test flights across the world.

Joby is partnered up with Virgin Atlantic to access the UK market: Virgin will support the brand’s UK launch efforts, market the service to its customers, and assist with regulators to build up landing infrastructure at key airports across the country. It is thought Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to reserve a seat on a Joby air taxi through Virgin Atlantic’s app, website and other channels.

Joby Founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt and Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss at the Farnborough International Airshow in 2024. (© Joby Aviation)

‘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 flights to airports and cities throughout the UK,’ Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said on the news. ‘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.’

‘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,’ added JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. ‘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.’

An illustration of what a future Joby air taxi network centered around Manchester and Virgin Atlantic’s hub at Manchester Airport could look like. (© Joby Aviation)

Joby’s Air Taxi Routes In The UK

Joby’s air taxi is expected to launch first at Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport – where Virgin Atlantic’s hubs can be found. The initial routes will be limited to specific, short-range journeys: a 15-minute flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds, and an eight minute journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf (instead of 80 minutes by car).

If the launch is successful, Joby intends to build a network of landing locations across the UK, spreading convenient, quick and zero-emission inter-city travel across the country. At Manchester Airport, this would include connections to Liverpool, Sheffield, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent, York, Nottingham and even Hull on the opposite side of the country. From London Heathrow, connections would zip passengers into the city, to neighbouring London airports, and to cities like Oxford, Cambridge, Salisbury, Brighton, and as far as Birmingham and Norwich.

An illustration of what a future Joby air taxi network centered around London and Virgin Atlantic’s hub at Heathrow Airport could look like. (© Joby Aviation)

How Much Will An Air Taxi Cost?

No specific rates have been shared just yet, but Joby hopes to offer prices ‘that are comparable with existing premium ground ridesharing options’ – so more expensive than an Uber Black, but it seems the plan is to keep the price relatively accessible.

When Will Air Taxis Launch?

No specific news just yet, but Virgin Atlantic and Joby claim air taxis will land in the UK ‘soon’. Until then, back in your ordinary four-wheeled taxi.