Electric air taxi flies St. Petersburg to Tampa route

Joby Aviation flew an all-electric, piloted air taxi from St. Petersburg to Tampa on Friday.

The aircraft departed from Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg and landed at Tampa International Airport. This demonstration marked the start of a week-long series of flights across Florida. The goal is to test how electric aircraft can integrate into the state’s transportation system.

The chosen route mirrors a historic flight from January 1, 1914. Pilot Tony Jannus carried former St. Petersburg Mayor Abe Pheil across Tampa Bay in a Benoist flying boat that day. That journey inaugurated the world’s first scheduled commercial airline service. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line charged five dollars for a one-way ticket and completed the trip in approximately 23 minutes.

Joby’s aircraft differs from the 1914 flying boat in its propulsion and landing methods. It takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter before transitioning to forward flight using electric motors. The vehicle is designed to carry one pilot and four passengers. It has a projected top speed of 200 miles per hour and a range of about 100 miles.

These capabilities suggest that trips between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa International Airport could be faster than driving, especially during heavy bridge traffic. The practical benefit will depend on passenger fares, access to landing facilities, and the time required for boarding and ground transportation.

Friday’s flight was part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s electric vertical takeoff and landing Integration Pilot Program. Florida is one of eight projects selected nationwide to help establish safety protocols for operating these aircraft alongside conventional aviation. The program will collect data on airport operations, aircraft noise, and procedures at vertiports. Vertiports are specialized facilities where electric aircraft can take off, land, and recharge.

Florida is developing an Aerial Highway Network to connect cities via short-distance air transportation. The Florida Department of Transportation has planned for advanced air mobility since 2021. In April, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1093. This law authorizes 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 and Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. At Orlando International, a vertiport has been developed near Terminal C and the airport train station. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that the flights will provide the information needed to establish safety standards for routine operations.

Joby is still in the process of completing FAA aircraft certification. Regular commercial passenger service has not yet begun. The company has not announced a launch date, ticket prices, or a permanent St. Petersburg route.

For Albert Whitted Airport, the demonstration offers a potential future use. Electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff could support connections between downtown St. Petersburg and regional hubs without requiring conventional runways at every destination. This possibility raises questions about landing facilities, charging infrastructure, noise, and the use of waterfront property. Existing airport infrastructure could provide an advantage, though commercial service would require additional planning and regulatory approvals. 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.