I toured an electric ‘air taxi’ that plans to launch in New York and Los Angeles as soon as 2025. See inside.

Some pilot unions have voiced concerns about single-pilot operations.

However, Joby’s president of operations and former US airline pilot Bonny Simi told BI that this type of flying is already safely practiced.

“The aircraft is very easy and simple to fly,” she said. “And there are already commercial operations with single pilots that fly no problem, like Cape Air and New York City helicopters.”

Joby’s eVTOL pilots will be employed by Joby and fly on behalf of the manufacturer and carriers like Delta.

Joby’s eVTOL takes off like a helicopter and flies like an airplane, thanks to its tilting propellers.

According to Joby, the tilt design enables the aircraft for vertical takeoff and landing and cruise flight. Further, the propellers’ tilt, rotational speed, and blade pitch can be individually adjusted to reduce noise.

Simi explained that if one propulsion unit fails, the opposing one will de-power to maintain balance, noting the eVTOL hovers fine on four units and can fly like an airplane on just two.

According to the company, a flight between Downtown Manhattan and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport would last just seven minutes — cutting more than an hour off the drive time during rush hour traffic.

Simi said the eVTOL could reach further away airports, such as White Plains, about 30 miles north of Manhattan, and Republic Airport in suburban Long Island, about 40 miles east.

“We can draw the Long Island crowd and the Connecticut crowd,” she said.

Delta’s SVP of sustainability performance and strategic partnership, Gail Grimmett, told BI that the airline’s multimillion-dollar investment will create “seamless” connectivity between Delta flights and eVTOLs.

“The thing that really attracted us to it is the commitment to the customer experience, which is extremely important to us as we improve our own customer experience and eliminate the pain points,” she said. “It’s also good for the environment because it’s net-zero and takes cars off the road, and for the communities because it’s so quiet.”

Delta has a huge presence in New York City and Los Angeles and has already invested billions in renovating the airport terminals. Grimmett said Delta is working with both city port authorities to develop vertiports at the hubs.

Joby isn’t the only player. In the US, Archer Aviation has created a full-scale eVTOL prototype called Midnight that it expects will fly in New York and Chicago. United Airlines has already ordered $1 billion worth of Archer’s electric air taxi.

Abroad, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has created Eve Air Mobility, while British electric planemaker Vertical Aerospace has developed the VX4. Both have garnered interest from global air carriers, including American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Japan Airlines.

Despite its novelty, I don’t think the concept is anything to balk at — assuming Joby can prove its eVTOL’s promised safety, efficiency, and affordability.