The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Joby Aviation have announced the completion of the first point-to-point electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft demonstration flights at Port Authority airports.
The tests saw a Joby aircraft operate between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and several sites across the city’s existing heliport network, including the Downtown Skyport and the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports in Midtown.
Supported by Tru Weather, which provided operational weather intelligence, and monitored by NUAIR, which supplied live tracking support to ensure safe integration into the region’s airspace; the completion of the demonstration flights marks a milestone for the Port Authority’s commitment to safety and innovation by advancing next-generation transportation solutions, building on the agency’s aggressive agenda to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
It also follows the agency’s 2025 partnership with BETA Technologies on the first all-electric passenger aircraft flight to land at a Port Authority airport, as well as its election earlier this year for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) first-of-its-kind electric aircraft integration pilot programme.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole, said:The bridges, tunnels, airports, and rail lines that the Port Authority operates move hundreds of millions of people through this region every year, and our job is to make sure that network keeps pace with the future.
This cutting-edge aircraft is exactly the kind of innovation we have a responsibility to demonstrate, understand, and help shape for the good of the region and the public. These flights advance our work to determine how next-generation aviation technology can serve the people of New York and New Jersey.
The demonstration was carried out under a request for innovation issued by the Port Authority in December 2023, which saw the agency invite leading aerospace companies to demonstrate next-generation aircraft at its facilities with the overall goal of better understanding their capabilities, infrastructure requirements, and potential applications in the New York-New Jersey region.
Additionally, the agency is seeking private partners to design, build and operate a new vertiport at LaGuardia Airport for eVTOL operations. The Port Authority is committed to the continued and safe exploration of Advanced Air Mobility’s feasibility and utility as the technology develops.
