Virgin Atlantic has partnered with electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation to develop air taxi services in the UK.
The companies, who announced the development on Sunday (16 March), said that Joby would offer short-range trips across the UK, starting with regional and city connections from Virgin Atlantic's hubs at London Heathrow and Manchester airports.
Potential journeys could include a 15-minute flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds, or an eight-minute flight from Heathrow to Canary Wharf business district in east London.
Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flight to airports and cities throughout the UK.
“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.”
The companies did not provide a projected start date for the UK air taxi service but Joby added that it expected to “offer prices that are comparable with existing premium ground ridesharing options at launch”.
Delta Air Lines, which owns a 49 per cent stake in Virgin Atlantic, invested $60 million in Joby in 2022 as part of the airline’s plans to use eVTOL aircraft for home-to-airport transfers for its customers.
The new Virgin Atlantic-Joby partnership builds on that existing agreement to launch air taxi service in the US and UK.
JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, added: “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.”
This is not the first time that Virgin Atlantic has looked at using eVTOL aircraft – it previously signed a deal with manufacturer Vertical Aerospace in 2021, although this agreement has now come to an end.