Joby's mobile app to book an air taxi will be integrated into Uber and Delta Airlines apps. Screenshot: Courtesy of Joby Aviation
One day you'll be able to use a mobile app to summon an air taxi as easily as you hail an Uber, Joann Muller writes in What's Next.
Driving the news: Joby said yesterday it had received FAA authorization for its software operating system, which will be at the core of its planned air taxi service.
Zoom in: The software includes a customer app, pilot management tools, and a matching system that pairs customers with aircraft — much like Uber does today.
The app will be integrated into booking apps for Uber and Delta Airlines. Joby also plans to sell the software-as-a-service to partners that buy its aircraft.
Catch up fast: Ultra-quiet eVTOLs — as in electric vertical takeoff and landing — ascend and descend like a helicopter but fly like a plane.
State of play: Joby is the latest eVTOL developer to share how its on-demand flying taxi service will operate.
Rival startup Archer Aviation, for example, just announced plans to build an air taxi network connecting five cities around the San Francisco Bay area.
Between the lines: The resemblance between Joby's app and Uber's is no coincidence. Joby acquired the ride-hail company's air taxi division, Uber Elevate, in 2021.
In 2019, Uber Elevate had a service called Uber Copter that let customers book a helicopter in New York City via the Uber app.
The former head of Uber Elevate, Eric Allison, is now chief product officer for Joby and has been developing the software in tandem with the aircraft.
