Virgin Atlantic signs binding deal to sell Joby air taxi flights from Heathrow and Manchester

Virgin Atlantic has signed a definitive multi-year agreement with Joby Aviation to bring electric air taxi services to the UK, with London Heathrow and Manchester expected to be the first connection points and flights sold directly through the airline’s app and website.

The deal, signed on Wednesday at the Farnborough International Airshow, converts the partnership the two companies first announced in 2025 into a binding commercial framework. It makes Virgin Atlantic the exclusive airline partner for Joby’s UK air taxi operation, and it matters to anyone who currently loses an hour or more of a working day crawling along the M25 or the M62 to reach a long-haul departure.

Joby says early routes are expected to include Manchester Airport to Leeds in roughly 15 minutes and Heathrow to central London in as little as eight minutes. Both journeys take over an hour by car today.

What it means for the booking process

The commercially significant detail for SMEs is distribution. Virgin Atlantic will sell the air taxi leg through its own booking platforms, including its mobile app and website, allowing UK travellers to book the connection alongside a long-haul ticket rather than as a separate arrangement.

That single-transaction structure is what turns a novelty into something a travel manager can actually put on a policy. Whether it survives contact with SME expense budgets will depend on pricing, which neither company has disclosed.

Delta Air Lines, which holds a 49 per cent stake in Virgin Atlantic, announced its own multi-city partnership with Joby in 2022 covering community-to-airport transport. That arrangement is mutually exclusive across the US and UK, so the Virgin Atlantic agreement extends rather than competes with it, and gives transatlantic passengers a consistent product at both ends of the route.

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“This agreement marks an exciting next chapter in our partnership with Joby and a significant step towards bringing electric air taxi services to the UK,” said Corneel Koster, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic. “Together, we’ll create more seamless journeys for our customers, making it easier than ever to travel between towns, cities and our airports.”

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and chief executive of Joby Aviation, said: “The UK is one of the most exciting markets for this technology, and this partnership could drive significant opportunities for Joby as we bring air taxi service to some of the country’s busiest cities.”

Regulation remains the gating factor

Joby retains sole responsibility for aircraft operations, route management and securing approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Virgin Atlantic’s role covers infrastructure integration and customer acquisition at both hubs.

No launch date has been given, and the regulatory timetable is the reason. The CAA’s advanced air mobility programme is working towards initial commercial passenger eVTOL operations from the end of 2028, in line with the government’s Future of Flight action plan. Joby’s certification is progressing under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the FAA and the CAA, building on a validation application the company filed in 2022.

The aircraft uses six tilting propellers, takes off and lands vertically at a fraction of the noise of a helicopter and is designed for routes of up to 100 miles. Joby has completed thousands of test flights, including a recent point-to-point demonstration between JFK Airport and Manhattan. The company has also agreed a deal with Uber to distribute its flights through the ride-hailing app.

Earlier this month a full-scale model was displayed at Potters Fields Park in London, opposite Tower Bridge, where visitors could sit inside the aircraft. Business travellers heading through the country’s busiest hub should plan on the Heathrow Express for a while yet.