Air taxis cut hour-long commutes to minutes, riders may be shocked by the price

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Electric air taxis are now moving closer to real-world use,completing test flightsdesigned to turn hour-long commutes into trips lasting just minutes.

Joby Aviation, Inc., said it completed what it described as the firstpoint-to-point electric vertical takeoffand landing (eVTOL) air taxi demonstration flights in New York City, the company shared in a press release.

The California-based company said its aircraft departed from John F.Kennedy International Airport and landed across the city’s heliport network, including the West 30th Street and East 34th Street heliports in Midtown, demonstrating trips of under 10 minutes.

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The test runs marked “the start of a week-long public campaign across the city’s existing heliport network,” the company said in its release.

Joby said its air taxis, which produce no operating emissions and run quietly, “will be able to connect the region, linking vertiports, international airports, and communities across the New York metropolitan area.”

Joby Aviation completed electric air taxi test flights in New York City, signaling progress toward faster urban commutes.(Joby Aviation)

The company worked with the Port Authority ofNew Yorkand New Jersey to launch the test flights, which trace some routes it envisions for future service.

The “future of advanced air mobility is no longer a Jetsons-esque fantasy.”

“These flights advance our work to determine how next-generation aviation technology can serve the people of New York and New Jersey.”

Joby air taxi flying over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Joby Aviation’s demonstration flights, seen above in San Francisco, are part of a broader effort to introduce advanced air mobility in major U.S.cities.(Joby Aviation)

“In terms of the price point, our target is to be competitive with ground transportation over time,” Joby Aviation’s CEO JoeBen Bevirt told NBC News.

A handful of social media users weighed in on the flights under Joby’s X post.