Joby Aviation just solved one of the biggest problems in the air taxi industry. On August 4, 2026, the company announced a strategic partnership with Atoms, an industrial AI and infrastructure company, to build a network of vertiports across the United States.
The first locations will be in Florida, New York, Texas, and California. These are the same states where Joby is preparing to launch early commercial operations under the White House eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
Not Just Landing Pads — Full Mobility Hubs
Here is what makes this partnership different from other vertiport plans. Atoms is not building simple helicopter pads with a charger attached. They are building full multimodal transportation hubs.
Each hub will combine:
- Electric air taxi landing and takeoff pads
- High-speed charging stations for eVTOL aircraft
- Autonomous vehicle connections
- Ridesharing pickup and dropoff zones
- Passenger waiting areas and facilities
- On-site power generation and management
The idea is simple. You land in an air taxi and immediately connect to your next ride — whether that is an autonomous car, an Uber, or a subway connection. No gaps. No waiting around figuring out how to get to your final destination.
Learn About Atoms
Atoms is an infrastructure company founded by Travis Kalanick — the same person who co-founded Uber. After leaving Uber, Kalanick started building a company focused on real estate, technology, and infrastructure for new transportation modes.
Travis Kalanick said smart cities need new types of real estate and infrastructure. As new transport modes become available, someone has to design and build the physical spaces they operate from. That is what Atoms does.
Atoms Real Estate will handle the work using its own architects, engineers, construction teams, and technology staff. The company focuses on power-intensive projects that combine physical infrastructure with transportation technology.
Why These Four States?
Florida, New York, Texas, and California are not random picks. Each state has a specific reason:
- Florida: Joby is preparing early eIPP operations here. High tourism demand. Year-round flying weather.
- New York: Joby already completed piloted flights across New York City earlier this year. Existing heliport infrastructure. Extreme traffic congestion creates demand.
- Texas: Part of the eIPP program. Large metro areas with sprawl that makes air taxis useful.
- California: Joby’s home state. The company flew piloted demonstrations across the San Francisco Bay Area including over the Golden Gate Bridge.
These are markets that can support early demand for air taxi service. Big populations, heavy traffic, and existing aviation activity.
The Infrastructure Problem Gets Real
We have written before about the hidden infrastructure challenge facing air taxis. You can build the best aircraft in the world, but without places to land and charge, you have no business.
This Atoms partnership is Joby’s answer to that problem. Instead of trying to build vertiports themselves (expensive and slow), they partnered with a company whose entire job is building infrastructure.
JoeBen Bevirt, Joby’s CEO, said thoughtful urban planning takes a decade or more. Making electric flight part of daily life needs a new generation of transportation hubs that connect aircraft, ground transportation, and communities.
He called Atoms a natural partner because they combine technology, operations, and customer experience in their infrastructure projects.
How Close Is Joby to Commercial Launch?
For your information, that’s very close. Here is where things stand:
- Joby flew its first FAA-conforming aircraft (needed for official certification testing)
- The company is in the final stage of FAA type certification
- Piloted flights completed in San Francisco and New York City
- Selected for the White House eIPP program across multiple states
- Partnerships signed with Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, and now Atoms
The aircraft works. The partnerships are signed. The infrastructure is now being built. The last piece is final FAA certification, which Joby is working through right now.
This partnership signals that Joby is moving beyond aircraft development into actual commercial operations planning. Building vertiports means the company believes certification is close and wants infrastructure ready when approval comes.
For the broader industry, it shows that infrastructure investment is finally catching up with aircraft development. Aircraft are almost certified. Now the ground network needs to match.
For cities like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, and San Francisco, it means air taxi service is getting closer to reality. When you see construction crews building vertiports, you know launch is not far behind.