Joby and Virgin Atlantic Progress Toward Commercial Flight Operations by Year-End

Joby and Virgin Atlantic Sign Commercial Agreement to Launch UK Air Taxi Service

Joby Aviation Inc. and Virgin Atlantic have signed a definitive multi-year commercial agreement, formalizing the partnership first announced in 2025 to launch Joby’s all-electric air taxi service in the United Kingdom.

The agreement makes Virgin Atlantic the exclusive airline partner for Joby’s electric air taxi operations in the UK. It also expands Joby’s existing collaboration with Delta Air Lines, which owns a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic, creating a strategic partnership aimed at improving regional air mobility with faster and more sustainable travel options.

Joby’s S4 electric aircraft features lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced composite structures. To support future production, the company began manufacturing composite propeller blades at its Dayton, Ohio, facility in October 2025, with plans to scale output to as many as 500 aircraft annually.

Under the partnership, Virgin Atlantic will integrate Joby’s air taxi service into its website and mobile app, enabling passengers to book electric air taxi transfers alongside their long-haul flights. Initial operations are planned from Virgin Atlantic’s hubs in London and Manchester, with Manchester serving as a key gateway for northern England.

Proposed routes include flights from Manchester Airport to Leeds in approximately 15 minutes and from Heathrow Airport to Central London in as little as eight minutes, significantly reducing travel times compared with journeys by road.

Joby will oversee aircraft operations, route planning, and the certification process with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), while Virgin Atlantic will focus on customer engagement and integration of supporting infrastructure.

According to Aviation Week, Joby is continuing its certification program before commercial passenger operations can begin. The company must complete additional requirements under FAA Part 21.35, including a series of flight test prerequisites, before commencing official type-certification flight testing with an FAA test pilot.

Joby’s Systems Engineering and Certification Lead, Ife Ogunleye, said the company is working closely with the FAA to complete the remaining certification milestones. In parallel, Joby is also pursuing validation with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, and Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority to support future international operations.

The company expects to add three more conforming S4 aircraft to its flight test fleet before the end of the year. Joby’s certification strategy will allow specific test results to be applied across multiple aircraft, reducing duplication during the approval process. The company also confirmed that destructive testing will focus on individual structural components rather than complete aircraft, helping streamline development while maintaining certification standards.