Which cities have announced first air-taxi routes?
A handful of cities already have a named first air-taxi route: two places an operator, an airline, or a city government has said electric aircraft will fly between. An announced route is a plan. It is not a timetable, a fare, or a ticket you can buy today.
The cities below are listed in the order their route plans were made public. Each one links to the official announcement, and the details here are only what those releases say.
New York: Newark Airport to Downtown Manhattan
Announced November 10, 2022 by Archer Aviation and United Airlines. The route links United’s hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on Pier 6, just above Battery Park. Archer estimated the flight in its Midnight aircraft at under 10 minutes, against an hour or more by car at rush hour. The release called it the first specific route announced in the eVTOL industry.
Source: Archer and United Airlines press release
Chicago: O’Hare to Vertiport Chicago
Announced March 23, 2023 by Archer and United Airlines. The route runs between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago, in the Illinois Medical District near the Loop. Archer put the trip at about 10 minutes. The release set 2025 as the goal for starting service and described airport-to-downtown “trunk” routes coming first, with “branch” routes to nearby communities later.
Source: United Airlines and Archer press release
Paris: three routes planned for summer 2024
Announced June 20, 2023 at the Paris Air Show by Volocopter and Groupe ADP, the Paris airports operator. They named three connection routes and two tourist round trips, aimed at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games:
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris-Le Bourget airport
- A vertiport on a barge at Austerlitz to the Paris Heliport
- The Paris Heliport to the Saint-Cyr-l’École airfield, near Versailles
Things moved more slowly than planned. On August 8, 2024, Volocopter reported a crewed test flight at Saint-Cyr-l’École, and Groupe ADP said in the same release that test flights were being carried out without passengers for now.
Sources: Volocopter and Groupe ADP route announcement · Volocopter test flight update
Dubai: four launch sites around the city
Announced February 11, 2024 by the Government of Dubai. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) signed agreements with Joby Aviation, vertiport developer Skyports, and the UAE and Dubai civil aviation authorities, with a goal of launching air taxi service by 2026. The first phase names four sites: near Dubai International Airport (DXB), Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Palm Jumeirah. The RTA said a trip from DXB to Palm Jumeirah would take about 10 minutes, compared with 45 by car. Joby holds the exclusive right to run air taxis in Dubai for six years under the deal.
Sources: Dubai Media Office · Joby Aviation · Skyports
Abu Dhabi: a first site, not yet a route
Abu Dhabi has a named first landing site but no published route pair. On April 23, 2025, Archer said the UAE’s civil aviation regulator had approved the design for turning the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal helipad into a hybrid heliport for helicopters and eVTOL aircraft. Archer described it as the planned first site ready for eVTOL operations in the UAE, close to Abu Dhabi Port, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, and the Corniche. Archer plans its early operations there with Abu Dhabi Aviation.
Source: Archer press release
How to read a route announcement
- The dates in these releases were targets at the time. Some have already moved, as the Paris update shows, so check the operator’s own newsroom for the latest plan.
- A named route does not mean the aircraft is certified, that fares are set, or that bookings are open.
- Airports show up in almost every plan: Newark, O’Hare, Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget, and DXB.
- This page lists only routes with an official announcement behind them. Cities with talks, studies, or demo flights alone are left out.
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