New York becomes latest US city to host eVTOL aircraft, with Volocopter, Joby Aviation and BETA Technologies taking part in historic day
Volocopter and Joby Aviation both made history this week, with each company flying their eVTOL aircraft in New York. For Joby, it represented the first time the company has flown its aircraft in an urban setting.
Each aircraft was flown from the iconic Downtown Heliport in Manhattan, where today (Monday), New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, announced the city’s intention to electrify the heliport, laying the groundwork for New York to become the global leader in the adoption of clean, quiet flight.
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said: “By electrifying one of the most famous heliports in the world, New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel.
“We’re grateful for the support of the city, and we’re honoured to be working with visionary partners like Delta Air Lines to bring our air taxi service to this market. We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers, while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise.”
Christian Bauer, Managing Director of Volocopter, added: “A New York City flight has always been on Volocopter’s mind when designing an eVTOL that could be safe and quiet enough to fly its busy skies.
“Our flight in NYC proves that we have everything required to make this emerging technology flourish in this city. This event was an amazing opportunity to showcase how electric air taxis can elevate the quality of life in a city that never sleeps.
“We are confident this will open doors to air taxi commercial operations in more cities in the U.S., and we look forward to flying again soon in the Big Apple”.
As well as Joby and Volocopter, BETA Technologies were also present at the event and brought its Charge Cube.
These are multimodal and interoperable, designed to support other electric aircraft and ground electric vehicles as well. Archer signed a partnership with BETA only last week, where it would purchase several Charge Cubes and Mini Cubes. Altogether, BETA has installed chargers at 15 sites across the U.S., with 55 more sites in development along the east and gulf coasts.
Kyle Clark, BETA Technologies’ Founder and CEO, said: “We’re seeing real resonance with electric aviation, from aircraft being delivered to the military to the reception we felt flying down the east coast into the communities this aircraft will eventually serve.
“Access to reliable, fast charging infrastructure will be critical to enabling this technology to drive the economy and connect communities, from downtown Manhattan to more rural areas. New York has long been out in front supporting sustainable, next-generation transportation, and we’re gratified to be part of its embrace of that same future for aviation.”
As part of the public showcase, the City of New York outlined a new vision for the future of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, seeking to reduce emissions, noise pollution, and improve the quality of life for residents.
It aims to reshape heliports such as DMH to accommodate eVTOL aircraft so that the city can diversify its mobility options to reduce congestion, while still meeting the transport needs of one of the busiest cities in the world.
DMH is a well-known transport hub for travellers in need of an efficient ride to neighboring airports or for touristic flights to view the NYC skyline.
Andrew Kimball, President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO, said: “The Adams Administration has been a leader in driving technology innovation and economic growth while simultaneously improving quality of life.
“EDC’s new strategy for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport reflects these priorities while making it an industry leader in the embrace of eVTOLS – a quieter and greener helicopter alternative – while at the same time facilitating maritime freight with last mile e‑bike deliveries that takes trucks off the roads.”
In 2018, Volocopter conducted its maiden U.S. flight in Las Vegas. Since then, it has flown in Oshkosh, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Tampa, and now in NYC.
Volocopter expects to receive a final certification of its commercial eVTOL aircraft, the VoloCity, from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2024. The company is also in the concurrent validation process with the FAA, which was submitted in 2020.
Joby previously announced through its partnership with Delta Air Lines that it expects New York to be one of its early launch markets after receiving certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
While traveling from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) can take more than an hour by car, Joby expects the trip to take just seven minutes by air
Joby and Delta are working closely with the Port Authority of New York and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) as they plan for initial operations, including the development of infrastructure at JFK and LaGuardia International Airport (LGA).
This builds on significant recent investments Delta has made in upgrading the customer experience at its New York hubs.
Gail Grimmett, SVP of Sustainability Performance and Strategic Partnerships at Delta, said: “Delivering exceptional experiences for our customers is why Delta has invested over $7 billion in New York City, especially at our LaGuardia and JFK hubs.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the great progress that’s been made toward launching clean, quiet and convenient air taxi services for Delta customers traveling to and from New York, and is a testament to our innovative partners at Joby and the support of Mayor Eric Adams in advancing new and sustainable technologies.”








