Air taxi maker Joby to let Uber users book flights in 2026

Joby Aviation plans to integrate Blade’s air mobility services into the Uber app in 2026, after acquiring Blade’s passenger business in August 2025.

Joby Aviation, based in California, develops electric air taxis for commercial passenger service.

Blade currently operates air routes in New York and Southern Europe, flying over 50,000 passengers in 2024 on routes including major airports and city centers.

Once the integration is complete, Uber users will be able to book Blade flights directly through the Uber app.

Joby said it aims to use Blade’s existing infrastructure to accelerate its electric air taxi service in cities such as Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, the UK, and Japan.

The company’s electric air taxi is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot.

No launch dates for new aircraft services have been announced.

🔗 Source: Joby

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Strategic acquisitions accelerate market entry over internal development

Joby’s approach demonstrates a shift toward acquiring proven operations rather than building air mobility services from scratch.
The company acquired Uber’s Elevate division in 2021 and now Blade’s passenger business in August 2025, gaining immediate access to existing infrastructure and operational experience1.
Blade’s established network already transported over 50,000 passengers in 2024 across routes in the New York metropolitan area, providing Joby with proven demand and operational data1.
This acquisition strategy allows Joby to leverage Blade’s experience and existing landing points with dedicated passenger lounges, avoiding the time and cost of building these capabilities independently1.
The move reflects broader industry recognition that operational expertise and infrastructure are as valuable as aircraft technology in bringing urban air mobility to market.

eVTOL deployment timelines continue to extend beyond initial projections

The current announcement reveals how air taxi deployment has evolved differently than originally planned when Joby and Uber first partnered in 2019.
Their initial partnership targeted air taxi services by 2023 in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne using Joby’s eVTOL aircraft2.
Instead, the 2025 announcement focuses on integrating existing helicopter services through Blade, suggesting that eVTOL commercial operations remain further out than initially projected1.
This pattern aligns with broader industry challenges, as multiple market research reports project the air taxi market will grow from $1.32-3.85 billion in 2024-2025 to $5.16-20.5 billion by the 2030s, indicating most significant growth is still expected in the next decade3 4 5.
The approach suggests companies are using proven helicopter services as a bridge to introduce customers to urban air mobility concepts while continuing to develop and certify their eVTOL technology.