Joby Flies Tampa Bay's 1914 Airline Route in Florida eIPP Debut, With No Fare or Booking Date Announced
Why It MattersThe flights mark the first eIPP operations in Florida, yet with certification still pending and no fare or booking date published, commercial eVTOL service remains a future prospect.
Joby Aviation flew its electric air taxi from Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport on the morning of Friday, October 30, opening a week of piloted flights across Florida with the Florida Department of Transportation. They are the state's first flights under the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The route repeats the one Tony Jannus flew across Tampa Bay on January 1, 1914, which Joby calls the world's first scheduled commercial airline flight. That original St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line crossed the bay in about 23 minutes and charged $5 one way, and it carried 1,205 passengers before its last flight on May 5, 1914. Friday's flight began with a community event at Albert Whitted Park hosted by the City of St. Petersburg. The price of a Tampa Bay trip and the date passengers could book one have not been announced.
Joby lists two more stops this week, weather permitting: Orlando International, where the aircraft lands at a new vertiport near Terminal C and the train station, and the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. Joby says the Orlando routes and procedures came from two years of simulation with the FAA, NASA, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and Orlando air traffic controllers.
The aircraft, N545JX, is a preproduction aircraft flying under an experimental airworthiness certificate. The airframe used for certification is N547JX, Joby's first FAA-conforming aircraft. Joby says it is in the final stages of type certification, and it is targeting its first passengers in 2026. Joby reports third-quarter results after the market closes on November 4.
