Delta terminals at LaGuardia, JFK and LAX could add ‘vertiports’ for passengers commuting by AIR TAXIS by 2025 – with ride from Manhattan eventually costing just $200
- Delta passengers will soon be able to book an “electric air taxi” to take them from home to the airport
- The multimillion-dollar project is planned for Los Angeles and New York, but will then be expanded
- ‘Premium’ Delta customers will first get access to the air taxis before they are rolled out more widely
The worst part of a plane trip is often the trip to the airport.
But traffic jams and sprints to the gate could be a thing of the past from 2025, when travelers can board an electric air taxi to cruise to their flight.
As part of a multi-million dollar partnership, Delta Air Lines has unveiled plans to build “vertiports” at its terminals in New York and Los Angeles.
The ports will allow passengers to be transported through the air from their homes in small, electric flying taxis, arriving at their gates in a fraction of the time.
The flights could be available as early as 2025, with passengers able to book when they purchase a Delta ticket
It is part of a $60 million partnership between Delta Air Lines and Joby Aviation, a leading manufacturer of electric aircraft.
Under the arrangement, Delta passengers who book their flights will have the option to book seats on Joby vessels to travel to the airport.
It is not yet clear where the flights will depart and whether it will be a door-to-door service.
But the plane will land at specially designed “vertiports” at Delta terminals, where the plane will charge before taking off to pick up more passengers.
The pilot project is planned for New York’s LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, where demand is highest and traffic congestion is greatest.
The service will be rolled out slowly from 2025, starting with ‘premium’ customers.
As the fleet grows, they will try to reduce the cost until it is comparable to hiring an Uber to the airport from downtown Manhattan – about $200.
The Joby craft have completed more than 1,000 test flights and are quieter and more efficient than standard helicopters
Delta Air Lines plans to build ‘vertiports’ at their terminals in New York and Los Angeles
The type of craft has only been ready for a year or two and has completed more than 1,000 test flights.
Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt told Axios: ‘The quality of the sound is significantly different.
‘NASA came and made acoustic recordings of our planes. They put out a huge field of microphones, flew over with our plane and recorded the acoustic profile.
“What they showed was that the noise footprint when our plane flies over is a hundred times smaller than a traditional helicopter.”
Delta CEO Ed Bastian said, “Some people spend more time traveling from their home to their seat than the flight itself. We want to give people their time back.’
“Delta always looks forward and embraces opportunities to lead the future, and we have found a partner in Joby who shares our pioneering spirit and commitment to delivering innovative, seamless experiences that are better for our customers, their journeys and our world.
“This is a game-changing opportunity for Delta to deliver a time-saving, unique premium home-to-airport solution to customers in key markets where we have been investing and innovating for many years.”