Joby Brings Its Vertical Takeoff and Landing Air Taxi to Florida
Joby begins a week-long series of flights across Florida with its all-electric vertical lift air taxi, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation
Flights are part of the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), accelerating the safe introduction of electric air taxis across the U.S.
Campaign opens with a historic flight across Tampa Bay from downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport, retracing the world's first scheduled commercial airline route
TAMPA, Fla., October 30, 2026--Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) today launches a week of piloted electric air taxi flights across Florida, taking its aircraft from Tampa to Orlando and on to the Space Coast. The aircraft will fly at Orlando International Airport and Kennedy Space Center, helping map the first phase of Florida's planned Aerial Highway Network. These are Florida's first flights under the White House-backed eIPP program, announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation in March 2026. The program brings government and industry together to accelerate the safe introduction of electric air taxis into U.S. airspace.
Florida is where commercial aviation began more than a century ago, and this week it once again takes center stage as Joby launches its statewide flight campaign with a historic journey across Tampa Bay. The flight from downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport retraces the route flown on January 1, 1914, when aviation pioneer Tony Jannus carried former St. Petersburg Mayor Abe Pheil across the bay on the world's first scheduled commercial airline flight. Floridians will have a front-row seat to the next chapter in aviation history as Joby brings its electric air taxi to the same skies. The milestone will be celebrated at Albert Whitted Park, where residents, families, tourists and aviation enthusiasts are invited to gather and watch the aircraft take flight and be part of a new moment in Florida's aviation history.
The Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) project was one of eight selected nationwide and is a statewide effort with multiple industry partners, planned in three phases covering passenger transportation, cargo delivery, automation and medical response.
Florida has been preparing for this moment for years, FDOT has led statewide Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) planning since 2021. In April 2026, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1093, which allows FDOT to fund vertiport infrastructure statewide. FDOT is also building SunTrax Air, a dedicated AAM test campus off Interstate 4 that is home to the nation's first dedicated AAM aerial test track, where AAM testing is planned to begin by the end of 2026. Together they make Florida an attractive place for Joby to operate, and this week's eIPP flights are the first step toward commercial service in the state.