Joby brings future air mobility to Florida with eVTOL air taxi demonstration

Joby Aviation has launched a week-long series of piloted electric air taxi demonstration flights across Florida, with its eVTOL aircraft operating in Tampa, Orlando, and along the Space Coast. The campaign includes flights at Orlando International Airport and the Kennedy Space Center, supporting the initial development of Florida’s planned Aerial Highway Network. These milestones mark the first Florida flights conducted under the White House-backed eIPP program, introduced by the U.S. Department of Transportation in March 2026. The initiative brings together public and private stakeholders to accelerate the safe integration of electric air taxi services into the U.S. airspace system.

Florida, the birthplace of commercial aviation more than a century ago, is once again at the forefront of aerospace innovation as Joby launches its statewide flight campaign with a landmark journey across Tampa Bay. The flight from downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport retraces the historic route flown on January 1, 1914, when aviation pioneer Tony Jannus carried former St. Petersburg Mayor Abe Pheil on the world’s first scheduled commercial airline service. More than a century later, Floridians will witness the next evolution of air transport as Joby’s electric air taxi takes to the same skies.

The milestone will be marked with a public celebration at Albert Whitted Park, welcoming residents, families, visitors and aviation enthusiasts to watch the aircraft in flight and take part in a new chapter of Florida’s rich aviation legacy.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) initiative was one of only eight projects selected nationwide and is being delivered in partnership with industry stakeholders through a three-phase program encompassing passenger transport, cargo operations, automation and emergency medical response.

Florida has spent years laying the groundwork for advanced air mobility. Since 2021, FDOT has spearheaded statewide AAM planning efforts, while Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1093 in April 2026, authorizing FDOT to fund vertiport infrastructure across the state. The department is also developing SunTrax Air, a dedicated AAM testing campus near Interstate 4 that will feature the nation’s first purpose-built aerial test track for advanced air mobility aircraft, with testing expected to begin before the end of 2026.

Together, these initiatives position Florida as a leading hub for next-generation aviation and an ideal environment for Joby’s future operations. This week’s eIPP demonstration flights represent a significant first step toward the introduction of commercial electric air taxi services in the state.

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby commented: “More than a century ago, Florida made history with the world’s first commercial airline flight. Today, Florida is helping lead the next generation in aviation. From Tampa Bay to Orlando and the Space Coast, we're giving Floridians a glimpse of a future where quiet, all-electric aircraft make it easier and faster to connect the places people live, work and visit. Florida has the vision, the destinations and the ambition to lead this transformation, and we're proud to work alongside FDOT to turn that vision into reality.”

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated: “Florida is helping safely integrate these new aircraft into the airspace system and prove that the next great era of American aviation is already here. Each flight provides crucial data and lessons learned that will help establish safety standards for everyday operations.”

Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. said: “More than 100 years ago, Florida helped launch the commercial aviation industry. Today, we are helping shape the next era of flight. Through strategic investments, statewide planning, and partnerships with some of the industry’s top innovators, Florida is creating the infrastructure and policies needed to safely integrate Advanced Air Mobility into our transportation system. These flights demonstrate how we are turning vision into reality.”

Throughout the week, Joby will fly in the first planned hubs of Florida’s Aerial Highway Network, the state’s planned intercity air taxi system:

• Tampa Bay: Point-to-point flight on Oct. 30 from Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) in downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport (TPA). Community members are invited to watch the takeoff and a live stream of the flight from Albert Whitted Park beginning at 8:45 a.m., at a community event hosted by the City of St. Petersburg celebrating the world’s first scheduled commercial airline flight.
• Orlando: Flight at Orlando International Airport (MCO) landing near the airport’s Terminal C and Train Station at a new vertiport, a dedicated eVTOL landing site, flown on routes and enabled by procedures developed over two years of simulation with the FAA, NASA, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and Orlando air traffic controllers.
• Kennedy Space Center: Flight at the Shuttle Landing Facility during the UP.Summit, bringing the aircraft to the home of American spaceflight before industry leaders where the country’s aerospace ambitions launched more than 60 years ago.

Joby’s presence in Florida extends well beyond this week’s flight demonstrations. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Blade, the company has been serving travelers between the New York metropolitan area and South Florida since 2015. In November, Blade will relaunch its premium BLADEone jet service to Miami and Palm Beach in partnership with private jet operator Aero. This established footprint provides Joby with a loyal customer base, operational expertise and existing ground infrastructure as it prepares to roll out electric air taxi services across the state.

Florida also represents the final destination of Joby’s 2026 Electric Skies Tour, a nationwide showcase marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The tour has already featured demonstration flights in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York and Dallas-Fort Worth before concluding at the Kennedy Space Center.

As Joby advances through the final stages of FAA type certification, the eIPP flight campaign is generating valuable operational data for both the FAA and state authorities. The flights will help evaluate airport integration, acoustic performance and vertiport procedures, laying the groundwork for the safe and efficient introduction of commercial electric air taxi operations in Florida and across the United States.