Joby Aviation has partnered with Atoms, the infrastructure company founded by Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick, to acquire and develop vertiport sites across the United States.
The companies will initially focus on Florida, New York, Texas and California, the markets where Joby is preparing to launch early operations under the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).
Atoms will develop the vertiports as transportation hubs where electric aircraft, autonomous ground vehicles and ridesharing services converge, handling passenger connections, aircraft servicing and last-mile ground transport. The company uses in-house architects, engineers, technology and construction teams.
“As air taxis move closer to early commercial service in the US, the right infrastructure becomes increasingly important, not just where aircraft land and charge, but how cities embrace this new form of transportation,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation.
Kalanick said: “As new transport modes and smart city services become available, designing and deploying a new asset class to support them is critical. We’re focused on serving city stakeholders with inspired, efficient buildouts that deliver great experiences for residents and communities alike.”
Joby’s aircraft is approaching commercial readiness, with its first FAA-conforming aircraft flown and type certification in its final stage. The company has completed piloted demonstration flights across San Francisco and New York City.
