The American giant “Delta Airlines” intends to invest in …flying taxi“, which will provide flying vehicles powered by pure electric power, and this project is expected to represent a leap in the field of short transport and mobility within cities.
Delta Air Lines joins the growing list of airlines looking to make short trips to and from airports easier and faster, according to a report released by the American network CNBC.
Delta has committed $ 60 million to invest in the operations of Joby Aviation, which plans to build and operate an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, an efficient air taxi.
Delta will also have an exclusive five-year partnership with eVTOL’s Joby as part of the Delta network, and Delta CEO Ed Pestian says the company will work to transport passengers to and from airports more efficiently, faster and with less hassle.
“We will give them the opportunity to enhance this experience by bringing a Joby car somewhere near their home or business directly to the airport experience and saving 50%, if not more, of their ground commuting time.” he added.
According to the CNBC report, the Joby and Delta alliance will initially target eVTOL service to and from New York and Los Angeles airports, although the two companies expect the service to grow to other airports in the United States. the world.
“Airport routes are the main routes and are a very valuable infrastructure and can save customers time,” said Jobin Beffert, founder and CEO of Joby.
The Delta and Joby agreement means that the three old US airlines have all taken stakes in the eVTOL startups. While “American Airlines” had invested $ 25 million in Vertical Aerospace and ordered 50 aircraft from a British company that worked in this field.
United Airlines has two eVTOL investments and aircraft orders, one for $ 15 million and the other for $ 10 million.
