Innovate
Electric air taxi retraces St. Petersburg aviation history
Joby Aviation launched Florida’s first federal electric air taxi demonstration flights with a trip across Tampa Bay Friday.
A new kind of aircraft took to the skies over Tampa Bay Friday, following a route that helped launch commercial aviation 112 years ago.
California-based Joby Aviation flew its piloted, all-electric air taxi from Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport. The demonstration opened a week of flights across Florida designed to test how electric aircraft could become part of the state’s transportation system.
The route carries historical significance. On Jan. 1, 1914, pilot Tony Jannus flew former St. Petersburg Mayor Abe Pheil across Tampa Bay aboard a Benoist flying boat, inaugurating the world’s first scheduled commercial airline service. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line charged $5 for a one-way ticket and completed the journey in approximately 23 minutes.
READ MORE: Vintage St. Pete: Tony Jannus and his flight into history
Joby’s aircraft represents a different approach to short-distance aviation. It takes off and lands vertically, like a helicopter, before transitioning to forward flight using electric propulsion. Designed to carry a pilot and four passengers, the aircraft has a projected top speed of 200 mph and a range of approximately 100 miles.
Those capabilities could make trips between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa International Airport considerably faster than driving, particularly during periods of heavy bridge traffic. The practical advantage would depend on passenger fares, access to landing facilities and the time required to board and reach a final destination.
Friday’s demonstration was part of the federal Federal Aviation Administration’s electric vertical takeoff and landing Integration Pilot Program. Florida is one of eight projects selected nationally to help establish how the aircraft can operate safely alongside conventional aviation.
The program will collect information about airport operations, aircraft noise and procedures at vertiports, specialized facilities where electric aircraft can take off, land and recharge.
The tests come as Florida develops an Aerial Highway Network intended to connect cities through short-distance air transportation. The Florida Department of Transportation has been planning for advanced air mobility since 2021.
In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1093, authorizing FDOT to fund vertiport infrastructure. The department is also developing SunTrax Air, an advanced aviation testing facility near Interstate 4.
The Florida demonstration continues with planned flights at Orlando International Airport, where a vertiport has been developed near Terminal C and the airport train station, and at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the flights will provide information needed to establish safety standards for routine operations.
Joby is still completing the FAA aircraft certification process, which means regular commercial passenger service has yet to begin. The company has not announced a launch date, ticket prices or a permanent St. Petersburg route.
For Albert Whitted Airport, the demonstration offers a glimpse of a possible future use. Electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff could eventually support connections between downtown St. Petersburg and regional transportation hubs without requiring conventional runways at every destination.
That possibility also brings practical questions about landing facilities, charging infrastructure, noise and the use of valuable waterfront property. Existing airport infrastructure could provide an advantage, although commercial service would require additional planning and regulatory approvals.
The economics remain uncertain. Electric propulsion could reduce some operating and maintenance costs compared with conventional aircraft, while limited passenger capacity and expensive infrastructure could keep fares relatively high, particularly during the industry’s early years.
Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt described the Florida flights as an opportunity to demonstrate how electric aircraft could connect places where people live and work.
The immediate benefit for Florida transportation planners is operational data. Successful demonstration flights can help determine where vertiports belong, how aircraft should interact with existing air traffic and whether regular service can operate economically.
