Delta Air Lines To Inject Up To $200 Million Into Electric Air Taxi Joby

Getting to and from the airport will be quick, quiet and clean in the near future, as another major airline invests in a sustainable shuttle solution. Delta Air Lines is entering into an exclusive partnership with California-based Joby Aviation to offer zero-emission airport-to-city transfers in electric aircraft.

“This is a groundbreaking opportunity for Delta to deliver a time-saving, uniquely premium home-to-airport solution for customers in key markets we’ve been investing and innovating in for many years,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian in a news release. Delta plans to begin rolling out the service in New York and Los Angeles in the next couple of years.

After an initial upfront equity investment of $60 million, Delta will pour up to $140 million more into Joby as further milestones are achieved. That investment locks Delta into an exclusive five-year partnership in the U.S. and U.K. with the startup, whose electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, will operate as part of the Delta network.

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Designed to solve the last-mile transportation problem, eVTOL aircrafts promise quick, quiet and clean transportation in and around cities.

After flying more than 1,000 test flights, Joby was the first eVTOL company to be granted a G-1 (Stage 4) Certification Basis for its aircraft by the FAA and recently received its Part 135 Air Carrier Certification.

While Delta’s exclusive partnership with Joby is unique, other major U.S. airlines also see eVTOLs as the future of airport-to-city shuttle services.

Last year, United Airlines forged an agreement with California-based eVTOL manufacturer Archer Aviation, making a $10 million pre-delivery payment for 100 aircraft. And just last month, United announced a $15 million investment in Eve, a Brazilian subsidiary of Embraer, with a conditional purchase agreement for up to 400 four-seater “flying taxi” aircraft. United said that first deliveries from Eve are expected “as early as 2026.”

In June of last year, American Airlines agreed to a conditional preorder of 250 eVTOL aircraft from U.K.-based Vertical Aerospace, with an option for an additional 100. Vertical Aerospace expects to deliver the VX4 aircraft in 2025.