Virgin Atlantic Signs On As Joby's Exclusive UK Airline Partner

FARNBOROUGH, England—Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic have announced a multi-year commercial agreement which makes the carrier Joby's exclusive airline partner for future air taxi services in the UK.

Under the agreement, Virgin plans to offer Joby's service through its booking platforms, building on an existing relationship with Delta Air Lines, which holds a 49% stake in the British carrier. In 2022, Delta announced a multi-city partnership and equity investment in Joby for future home-to-airport transportation, beginning in New York and Los Angeles. Delta and Virgin operate as partners across a transatlantic network.

“This agreement marks an exciting next chapter in our partnership with Joby and a significant step towards bringing electric air taxi services to the UK,” Virgin Atlantic CEO Corneel Koster said July 22 at the Farnborough Airshow. “Together, we'll create more seamless journeys for our customers, making it easier than ever to travel between towns, cities and our airports.”

For Virgin, Joby plans to launch service at hubs in London and Manchester. Early routes are expected to include Manchester Airport to Leeds, which it says will take some 15 min, and Heathrow to Central London, which will take 8 min. Joby expects the network to expand over time.

The eVTOL company will be responsible for securing UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulatory approvals, and will also hold sole responsibility for aircraft operations and route management. Virgin will support infrastructure integration and customer bookings.

California-based Joby recently operated a series of piloted demonstration flights across New York City. It expects to begin initial operations in the back half of 2026, and is progressing toward aircraft certification under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the FAA and UK CAA.