Joby Aviation (JOBY.US) teams up with Virgin Atlantic to launch air taxi services in the UK.

Electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation (JOBY.US) on Wednesday finalized a partnership with Virgin Atlantic, transforming the agreement announced in 2025 into a binding multi-year commercial agreement. As of the time of writing, Joby Aviation rose 2.34% in pre-market trading, having previously risen by 7%. The agreement establishes Virgin Atlantic as the exclusive airline partner for Joby's air taxi services in the UK. Passengers can book Joby's air taxi flights and long-haul flights through Virgin Atlantic's website and mobile application. Joby plans to launch services from Virgin Atlantic's Hub Group, Inc. Class A airports in London and Manchester, with the first routes expected to include flights from Manchester Airport to Leeds (approximately 15 minutes) and from Heathrow Airport to London city center (as fast as 8 minutes), compared to over an hour's driving time currently required to reach these locations. Under the partnership agreement, Joby will be responsible for aircraft operations, route planning, and obtaining regulatory approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, while Virgin Atlantic will support infrastructure integration and customer acquisition efforts at the two Hub Group, Inc. Class A airports. Over time, Joby expects to expand this network to various cities and communities across the UK. This collaboration builds on Joby's existing partnership with Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL.US), with Delta Air Lines, Inc. holding a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic. In 2022, Joby and Delta Air Lines, Inc. announced a cross-city partnership to jointly develop transportation services from communities to airports.