Joby and Virgin Atlantic Finalize Deal to Bring Electric Air Taxi Service to the UK

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Key Terms

bilateral aviation safety agreement regulatory

An agreement between two national aviation authorities to recognize each other’s safety standards, inspections, and certifications for aircraft, components, maintenance work, or personnel. It matters to investors because it can speed and lower the cost of getting planes, parts, or repair work approved across borders—similar to two countries agreeing to accept each other’s driver’s licenses so people and businesses can move and operate more easily in both places.

civil aviation authority regulatory

A civil aviation authority is the national government agency that oversees safety, operations and regulation of all non-military air travel and related businesses. Think of it as the traffic police and building inspector for the skies: it issues licenses, approves aircraft and flight routes, enforces safety rules and can ground planes or revoke permits. Investors watch its decisions because approvals, fines or restrictions can change a company’s costs, timeline, reputation and revenue.

vertical take-off and landing technical

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) describes aircraft or vehicles that can lift off straight up and land straight down, like a helicopter, without needing a runway. Investors watch VTOL technology because it can unlock new markets, change manufacturing and operating costs, and create different regulatory and safety risks—similar to how a car that can also fly would create new sales opportunities and infrastructure needs that affect a company’s future revenue and valuation.

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07/22/2026 - 05:45 AM

Joby and Virgin Atlantic sign multi-year agreement that builds on Joby’s existing exclusivity arrangement with Delta Air Lines
London Heathrow and Manchester Airport expected to be among the primary UK connection points, with a plan to extend service across the UK over time
Virgin Atlantic to integrate Joby’s UK services into its booking channels and support Joby’s rollout through its customer base and airport relationships

FARNBOROUGH, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY), a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, and Virgin Atlantic, a premium long-haul UK airline, today signed a definitive agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow, formalizing the partnership the companies first announced in 2025 to bring Joby's air taxi service to the UK.

Joby Aviation's electric air taxi on public display at Potters Field Park in London, July 2026, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic. (Photo: Joby Aviation)

The agreement converts the partnership announced in 2025 into a binding, multi-year commercial framework, establishing Virgin Atlantic as Joby's exclusive airline partner for air taxi services in the UK. The collaboration builds on Joby's existing partnership with Delta Air Lines, which holds a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic, bringing together three brands focused on faster, more convenient travel across the UK.

In 2022, Joby and Delta announced a multi-city partnership to pioneer community-to-airport transportation, which is mutually exclusive across the US and UK. Delta and Virgin Atlantic operate as partners across a shared transatlantic network, and Joby's UK partnership with Virgin Atlantic complements and expands its partnership with Delta.

“This agreement marks an exciting next chapter in our partnership with Joby and a significant step towards bringing electric air taxi services to the UK,” said Corneel Koster, CEO of Virgin Atlantic. “Together, we'll create more seamless journeys for our customers, making it easier than ever to travel between towns, cities and our airports. Innovation has always been part of Virgin Atlantic's DNA, and we're proud to partner with Joby to help shape the future of travel while delivering the premium customer experience we're known for."

"Virgin Atlantic’s dedication to a world-class customer experience makes them the right partner to represent Joby in the UK, and this agreement reflects the next step in that relationship,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. ”The UK is one of the most exciting markets for this technology, and this partnership could drive significant opportunities for Joby as we bring air taxi service to some of the country’s busiest cities."

Under the agreement, Virgin Atlantic will offer Joby's air taxi service through its booking platforms, including mobile app and website. This will allow travelers in the UK to book a seamless air taxi connection alongside their long-haul flights.

Joby plans to launch service at Virgin Atlantic’s hubs in London and Manchester, with Manchester anchoring Joby’s connections across the North of England. Early routes are expected to include Manchester Airport to Leeds in approximately 15 minutes and Heathrow to Central London in as little as 8 minutes, journeys that take over an hour by car today.

Joby will retain sole responsibility for aircraft operations, route management, and securing UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulatory approvals, while Virgin Atlantic will support infrastructure integration and customer acquisition at both hubs. Over time, Joby expects to expand this network to a wide range of cities and communities across the UK.

Earlier in July, members of the public had the chance to experience Joby’s aircraft firsthand when a full-scale model was displayed at Potters Fields Park in London, directly across from Tower Bridge. Visitors were able to sit inside the aircraft and imagine a future flight that could take just minutes to Heathrow from that location.

Joby's aircraft uses six tilting propellers, allowing it to take off and land vertically with a fraction of the noise produced by today's helicopters. It is optimized for rapid, back-to-back flights and is expected to be deployed on routes of up to 100 miles. Joby has completed thousands of test flights, including recent demonstrations in San Francisco and New York City, where the company flew point-to-point between JFK Airport and Manhattan. Joby's aircraft certification is progressing under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the FAA and UK CAA, building on the Company's 2022 validation application.

Media assets, including photos and footage of Joby’s aircraft as well as illustrative route networks in the UK, are available here.

About Joby

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.

About Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2025, the airline was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the ninth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs 9,250 people worldwide, flying customers to 28 destinations throughout the year.

Alongside shareholder and partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in 2023, as the global airline alliance’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing SkyTeam’s transatlantic network to and from London Heathrow and Manchester.

Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact. The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, with an average age of 7.5yrs. In 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed its first A330-900’s to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2028. For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, X and Instagram @virginatlantic.

Forward-Looking Statements 

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing, including the expected timing of type certification and our progress under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the FAA and UK CAA; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; plans for, and potential benefits of, our strategic partnership with Virgin America, including expected routes and launch locations; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; complexities related to obtaining certification and operating in foreign markets; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 27, 2026, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on May 6, 2026, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates and beliefs as of the date of this release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.