Flying taxis take flight in front of a US crowd for the first time as 2 companies race to take on passengers

• Joby and Archer Aviation are creating electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles.
• The California companies made their first flight demos at a Monterey County airshow on Saturday.
• Both companies are aiming to fly their first passengers within the next few years.

It may have been the quietest attraction of the day.

On a clear Saturday afternoon, Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, two California-based companies focused on making electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs — pronounced ee-vee-tols — demonstrated their aircraft in front of a public crowd for the first time at the California International Airshow in Monterey County.

The 10-minute demos came and went with nothing more than a pither. Only the sound of a slight hum and the crowd chatter could be heard during both flights.

“This is the future,” an announcer said over the mic. “Try to listen to it. It will be a challenge.”

That’s one of the main selling points for Joby and Archer.

The companies are envisioning a ride-share-like service in dense urban regions — except they’re relying on a zero-emissions, all-electric aircraft to transport passengers. Enter the flying taxis.

To achieve public acceptance of a fleet of small aircraft constantly hovering over people’s heads, noise — along with safety — is among the top priorities.

“It almost sounds like a whoosh,” Didier Papadopoulos, Joby’s president of aircraft OEM, told Business Insider at the airshow. “And that allows it to blend in with the cities and the noise.”

Public opinion is only part of the hurdle. EVTOLs are a capital-intensive and highly regulated space. Companies undergo numerous tests and, in the US, must obtain several certifications to demonstrate airworthiness to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Joby, which was founded in 2009, has said that it aims to take its first passengers by 2026 in Dubai.

Archer, a seven-year-old company, announced in May that it would partner with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics to transport VIPs and fans between key venues for the games, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and other visitor hubs such as the Los Angeles International Airport.

An Archer Aviation representative could not be reached for comment during the weekend.

Joby conducted an 8-mile trip from the Marina Municipal Airport to the event in Salinas, south of the San Francisco Bay Area

Joby’s aircraft features six tilting propellers that can rotate mid-flight, enabling the vehicle to seamlessly transition from vertical takeoff to forward flight. It also allows the aircraft to hover in place.

During the 10-minute showcase, Joby demonstrated a 540-degree spin as it hovered in a single position.

Joby’s blades are designed to reduce the vehicle’s noise

The combination of shorter blades and an electric propulsion system makes the Joby aircraft quieter, according to Papadopoulos.

“Because of the electric propulsion, you don’t actually have to spin the motor as fast to get the torque that you need,” he said.

Joby’s cockpit has a flight control system that emulates an F-35 fighter jet, Papadopoulos said

The cockpit of Joby’s eVTOL was designed to be simple, Papadopoulos told BI. The simplicity is intended to make flying Joby feel intuitive.

“This is one of the most advanced fly-by-wire flight control systems that you would see. It was really built on decades of research by NASA, Air Force, and so on,” the executive said. “We see it when we bring in people who do not have aviation experience. It takes them about 20 minutes in the simulator of flying, and they are like totally natural.”

Archer Aviation conducted a more conventional takeoff from the Salinas Municipal Airport

Archer’s “Midnight” eVTOL demonstrated a conventional, non-vertical take-off, starting on a runway before taking flight during the 10-minute demonstration at the airshow.

Unlike the Joby, the Midnight has 12 propellers — six tilt propellers and six fixed propellers — that provide the aircraft with vertical and forward flight capabilities.

A mock display of the Midnight was not available at the airshow.

Companies like Joby and Archer aim to cut down commutes to the airport

Archer Aviation envisions cutting down travel time, such as commutes between Newark Liberty International Airport and downtown Manhattan — a corridor currently served by noisier helicopters — to under 10 minutes.

Papadopoulos, the Joby executive, told BI that the company’s eVTOL has demonstrated a 150-mile range, but the purpose is more optimized for short, critical, and high-density missions that are often 20 to 30 miles long.

“Last week, I was in Japan at the Osaka World Expo,” he said. “It took me an hour and a half to go from the airport to the expo. It would’ve taken eight minutes exactly if I took this aircraft.”

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