SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Helo Holdings, Inc. (“HHI”), to install the first air taxi charger in the greater New York City region at the company’s heliport in Kearny, New Jersey, located just a two minute flight from Manhattan.
The agreement, which provides Joby with an operational base for its electric air taxi in the NYC region, builds on the partnership already established between Joby and HHI in November 2023, when Kearny served as a temporary home base for Joby’s aircraft. Joby completed several flights at Kearny in preparation for the Company’s exhibition flight in New York City at an event hosted by the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Mayor Eric Adams. The city has committed to electrify the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to enable electric air taxi operations.
First opened in 2011, the Kearny heliport is the largest vertical-lift facility on the east coast with 27 parking spots for helicopters and plans to expand to 32. The heliport provides ground services as well as hangar space for maintenance operations to helicopter operators in the NYC region, one of the busiest low-altitude corridors in the world.
As part of the agreement, HHI will upgrade its electrical infrastructure to support the installation of Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (“GEACS”), designed to support the safe and efficient operation of all electric aircraft under development today, including Joby’s quiet, emissions-free air taxi.
“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with HHI as we prepare to install our GEACS charging system at Kearny Heliport. Kearny is expected to become the first heliport with an air taxi charger in the tri-state area and enable the launch of our quiet, emissions-free air taxi service in the greater New York City region,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.
The GEACS charging interface is already in use at Joby’s flight test center in Marina, California and at Edwards Air Force Base. Joby recently announced a definitive agreement with Clay Lacy Aviation to install a charging system at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA.
Jeff Hyman, Founder and CEO of HHI, commented, “We continue to expand our footprint in Kearny in support of one of the busiest low-altitude corridors in the world, and we’re thrilled to partner with Joby, one of the leading developers of electric air taxis, to bring the next wave of quiet aircraft to residents of the tri-state area.”
In 2022, Joby announced a multi-year, multi-city commercial and operational partnership with Delta Air Lines to deliver seamless airport trips for its customers across several locations, including Los Angeles and New York City.
Joby’s air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and no in-flight emissions.
About Joby
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
About HHI
Helo Holdings, Inc. has over twelve years of experience in heliport operations in the Northeast Corridor. In 2010, HHI opened the Kearny Heliport, located in Kearny, New Jersey, just two minutes' flying time from Manhattan. Situated in the busiest helicopter corridor in the world, the facility offers tarmac parking spaces for 28 helicopters, 63,500 square feet of hangar space as well as office space, maintenance services, a pilot-friendly amenities lounge, and a 24,000-gallon fuel facility. HHI has owned, expanded and operated this vibrant heliport since its inception, carrying out day-to-day heliport operations, flight tracking, aviation facilities management, management of helicopter service providers, and aviation property management. Kearny Heliport has been awarded Heliport of the Year in 2013, 2019, 2022 & 2023 by ERHC.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, the growth of our manufacturing capabilities, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; plans for, and potential benefits of, our strategic partnerships; and the planned locations for our services. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our aerial ridesharing service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project, and our ability to launch our service; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 1, 2023, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates and beliefs as of the date of this presentation. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
