Volocopter and Joby take to skies above New York

Volocopter and Joby have taken part in the world’s first public showcase of multiple eVTOL aircraft today and yesterday in New York.

Joby and Volocopter completed test flights at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) in New York with their aircraft. The event was hosted by New York Mayor, Eric Adams, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. 

As part of the public showcase, the City of New York outlined plan for the future of DMH. It aims to reshape heliports such as DMH to accommodate eVTOLs so that the city can diversify its mobility options.

“The Adams Administration has been a leader in driving technology innovation and economic growth while simultaneously improving quality of life,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation president and CEO, Andrew Kimball. “EDC’s new strategy for the Downtown Manhattan Heliport reflects these priorities while making it an industry leader in the embrace of eVTOLS – a quieter and greener helicopter alternative – while at the same time facilitating maritime freight with last mile e-bike deliveries that takes trucks off the roads.”

Volocopter has now successfully and safely conducted flights in two of the busiest metropolitan hubs in the world, NYC and Singapore. Christian Bauer, MD of Volocopter, said: “A New York City flight has always been on Volocopter’s mind when designing an eVTOL that could be safe and quiet enough to fly its busy skies. Our flight in NYC proves that we have everything required to make this emerging technology flourish in this city. This event was an amazing opportunity to showcase how electric air taxis can elevate the quality of life in a city that never sleeps. We are confident this will open doors to air taxi commercial operations in more cities in the US, and we look forward to flying again soon in the Big Apple”. 

Joby, which demonstrated the capabilities of their S4 aircraft on Sunday, completed several preparation flights at the HHI Heliport in Kearny, New Jersey beforehand. 

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said: “By electrifying one of the most famous heliports in the world, New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel. We’re grateful for the support of the city, and we’re honoured to be working with visionary partners like Delta Air Lines to bring our air taxi service to this market. We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers, while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise.”

Joby previously announced through its partnership with Delta Air Lines that it expects New York to be one of its early launch markets. Joby and Delta are working closely with the Port Authority of New York and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) as they plan initial operations, including the development of infrastructure at JFK and LaGuardia International Airport (LGA). 

Gail Grimmett, SVP of Sustainability Performance and Strategic Partnerships at Delta, added: “Delivering exceptional experiences for our customers is why Delta has invested over $7B in New York City, especially at our LaGuardia and JFK hubs Today’s announcement demonstrates the great progress that’s been made toward launching clean, quiet and convenient air taxi services for Delta customers traveling to and from New York, and is a testament to our innovative partners at Joby and the support of Mayor Eric Adams in advancing new and sustainable technologies.”

BETA brings charger to showcase event

On the back of its announcement with Archer last week,  BETA brought one of its portable Charge Cubes to the DMH event in New York. Kyle Clark, BETA’s founder and CEO, said: “We’re seeing real resonance with electric aviation, from aircraft being delivered to the military to the reception we felt flying down the east coast into the communities this aircraft will eventually serve.

“Access to reliable, fast charging infrastructure will be critical to enabling this technology to drive the economy and connect communities, from downtown Manhattan to more rural areas. New York has long been out in front supporting sustainable, next-generation transportation, and we’re gratified to be part of its embrace of that same future for aviation,” he added.

BETA’s Charge Cube at today’s showcase event in New York. (credit: BETA)

Kimball from New York City’s Economic Development Corporation, added: “In addition to the aircraft behind us we also have on display a charging cube over to my right. This was developed and provided by BETA Technologies. I want to give a special thanks to them as well. This charger is the type of infrastructure that will be deployed at heliports to support electric aircraft.,”