Joby Kicks Off Nationwide Air Taxi Tour With Bay Area Flight

‘National showcase’ will include demonstrations in several cities across the U.S.

Jack Daleo

Friday, March 13, 2026 at 05:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Joby prototype aircraft, N545JX, soars past the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area, the first stop on a nationwide tour. [Credit: Joby Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Joby Aviation launched its "Electric Skies Tour" with a piloted electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi flying over San Francisco, marking the start of a national demonstration series.
The company is actively pursuing FAA type certification for its four-passenger urban air taxi, aiming to begin commercial passenger operations in major U.S. cities like New York and Los Angeles within the next 12 months.
Joby's tour highlights a growing trend of electric aircraft demonstrations, with the company participating in the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program across multiple states to integrate these new aircraft into real-world settings.

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It wasn’t a bird. It wasn’t a plane—at least not in the traditional sense.

San Francisco Bay Area residents could be forgiven for any momentary confusion Thursday as they watched—many for the first time—an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi soar over the bay and around the Golden Gate Bridge. The series of flights were the first in what Joby Aviation, the aircraft’s manufacturer, dubbed its “Electric Skies Tour.”