Heathrow to central London in eight minutes. That is the pitch Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic put to the industry today at the Farnborough International Airshow, where the pair signed a definitive agreement to bring electric air taxi services to Britain.
The deal turns a partnership first announced in 2025 into a binding, multi-year commercial framework, and it hands Virgin Atlantic exclusivity as Joby’s airline partner in the UK. First services are earmarked for the airline’s two hubs, London and Manchester, with Manchester acting as the anchor for connections across the North of England. Alongside that eight-minute Heathrow hop, Joby is floating Manchester Airport to Leeds in roughly 15 minutes, both journeys currently taking well over an hour by car. Domestic rival Vertical Aerospace, meanwhile, is targeting its own UK network with Skyports and Bristow later this decade.
There is a familiar name behind the arrangement. Delta Air Lines holds a 49 per cent stake in Virgin Atlantic and struck its own multi-city air taxi partnership with Joby back in 2022, one that is mutually exclusive across the US and UK. The Virgin Atlantic tie-up therefore extends rather than competes with the Delta deal, with the two airlines already sharing a transatlantic network.
For passengers, the practical upshot is that Joby seats will appear inside Virgin Atlantic’s own booking channels, app and website included, so a short hop to the airport can be added to a long-haul ticket rather than booked separately.
“This agreement marks an exciting next chapter in our partnership with Joby and a significant step towards bringing electric air taxi services to the UK,” said Corneel Koster, CEO of Virgin Atlantic. “Together, we’ll create more seamless journeys for our customers, making it easier than ever to travel between towns, cities and our airports. Innovation has always been part of Virgin Atlantic’s DNA, and we’re proud to partner with Joby to help shape the future of travel while delivering the premium customer experience we’re known for.”
The division of labour is clear cut. Joby keeps sole responsibility for flying the aircraft, managing routes and winning approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which is working towards a regulatory framework allowing initial commercial passenger eVTOL flights from the end of 2028. Virgin Atlantic handles infrastructure integration and customer acquisition at both hubs, leaning on its existing airport relationships.
“Virgin Atlantic’s dedication to a world-class customer experience makes them the right partner to represent Joby in the UK, and this agreement reflects the next step in that relationship,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “The UK is one of the most exciting markets for this technology, and this partnership could drive significant opportunities for Joby as we bring air taxi service to some of the country’s busiest cities.”
Londoners have already had a look. Earlier this month a full-scale model sat in Potters Fields Park, directly opposite Tower Bridge, with visitors able to climb inside.
The aircraft itself uses six tilting propellers to take off and land vertically, and Joby claims it produces a fraction of the noise of a conventional helicopter. It is built for rapid back-to-back flights and is expected to work routes of up to 100 miles. Thousands of test flights are already logged, including recent point-to-point demonstrations between JFK Airport and Manhattan, plus flying in San Francisco.
Certification is progressing under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the FAA and UK CAA, building on a validation application Joby filed back in 2022. The company has been pushing hard on FAA certification and production volume, is chasing an Air Operator Certificate in the UAE, and counts Toyota among its largest backers. Full details of the agreement are set out in Joby’s announcement.
