Joby Aviation and Atoms partner to develop U.S. vertiport network

Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) and Atoms, a smart city infrastructure company founded by Travis Kalanick, have announced a strategic partnership to acquire and develop vertiport sites across the United States.

The companies will initially focus on Florida, New York, Texas, and California — markets where Joby is preparing to launch early operations under the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).

According to the press release, the vertiports are planned to function as multimodal transportation hubs where electric aircraft, autonomous ground vehicles, and ridesharing services converge, with on-site power infrastructure for charging and operations.

Joby said its aircraft has entered the final stage of FAA type certification and that the company has conducted piloted flights across the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. The company has also flown its first FAA-conforming aircraft.

"Thoughtful urban planning can take a decade or more, and making electric flight part of everyday life will require a new generation of transportation hubs connecting aircraft, ground transportation, and communities," said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation.

Atoms, which operates through businesses including CloudKitchens and Pronto, will contribute in-house architecture, engineering, technology, and construction teams to the project.

"Smart cities require innovative real estate and infrastructure development," said Travis Kalanick, Founder and CEO of Atoms. "Designing and deploying a new asset class to support them is critical."

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