
Joby Aviation Inc. (JOBY) shares were headed for a third straight day of gains on Wednesday after the electric air taxi maker signed a definitive multi-year agreement with Virgin Atlantic.
The binding agreement formalizes a partnership first announced in 2025 and paves the way for Joby to launch electric air taxi services through Virgin Atlantic's booking channels.
Joby Aviation shares were up more than 5% in Wednesday’s pre-market trade. JOBY stock was among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits at the time of writing.
The agreement establishes Virgin Atlantic as Joby's exclusive airline partner for air taxi services in the U.K., building on Joby's existing partnership with Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), which owns a 49% stake in the British carrier.
Virgin Atlantic will integrate Joby's electric air taxi service into its website and mobile app, allowing travelers to book airport transfers alongside long-haul flights.
The company will remain responsible for aircraft operations, route management and securing regulatory approvals from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority, while Virgin Atlantic will support customer acquisition and airport infrastructure integration.
Joby said its electric air taxi service will initially operate from Virgin Atlantic's hubs at London Heathrow and Manchester airports, with plans to expand across the U.K. over time.
Early routes are expected to include an approximately eight-minute trip between Heathrow and Central London and a 15-minute flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds, both of which currently take more than an hour by car.
The company's all-electric aircraft uses six tilting propellers to take off and land vertically, allowing it to operate with significantly less noise than conventional helicopters. Joby expects the aircraft to serve routes of up to 100 miles once commercial operations begin.
The Virgin Atlantic agreement comes less than a month after Joby and Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) launched the initial phase of a strategic manufacturing alliance to scale production of Joby's electric air taxis.
The joint venture will combine Joby's electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) expertise with Toyota's manufacturing capabilities to improve production efficiency, quality and costs as the company prepares for commercial operations and higher aircraft output.
Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around Joby Aviation was in the ‘bullish’ territory at the time of writing.
JOBY stock is down 42% year-to-date and 55% over the past 12 months. The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF (VTI) is up 19% over the past 12 months, while the ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF (ARKX) is up 16%.
The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ) is up 22%.
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