Joby Aviation partners with Atoms to build US vertiport network

Joby Aviation and Atoms, the industrial AI and smart‑city infrastructure firm founded by Travis Kalanick, announced a strategic partnership to acquire and develop vertiport sites across the United States. The initial focus will be on Florida, New York, Texas and California, where Joby is preparing early electric air‑taxi operations under the White House‑backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). Vertiports will be built as multimodal hubs that combine landing pads, on‑site power for aircraft charging, passenger facilities and connections to autonomous ground vehicles and ridesharing services.

Joby has flown its first FAA‑conforming aircraft, entered the final stage of type certification and completed piloted flights in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. The company expects its first eIPP flights in September 2026, with commercial passenger service targeted before the end of 2026. Atoms will lead the real‑estate and engineering work, applying its in‑house architecture, construction and technology teams to deliver the power‑intensive infrastructure needed for electric vertical take‑off and landing (eVTOL) operations.

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said the partnership addresses the critical ground‑infrastructure gap that will determine how quickly electric flight can become part of daily urban mobility.