Can Joby's 25-Vertiport Deal Accelerate Air Taxi Adoption?

Joby Aviation JOBY, a developer of electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, has teamed up with Metropolis Technologies, a leader in applied AI for the real world, to develop 25 vertiports across the United States for JOBY’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The partnership will involve Metropolis’ AI-based recognition technology and its extensive footprint across aviation and baggage services.

The deal follows Metropolis’ $1.5 billion acquisition of SP+ and a $1.6 billion Series D funding round. The companies will locate the vertiports across Metropolis’ portfolio in early electric air taxi markets, assessing new and existing facilities for integration. The association between JOBY and Metropolis aims to make use of the latter’s network of 4,200 parking locations, as well as its baggage and aviation services at over 350 sites.

Joby intends to incorporate AI-based recognition technology by Metropolis, including broader computer vision and biometrics. Metropolis will introduce its Bags VIP service, through its Bags subsidiary, to Joby’s Blade Urban Air Mobility operation, which aims to offer five-minute flights between Manhattan and Newark or JFK airports. The companies expect the baggage handling service to ease passenger concerns regarding luggage requirements.

JOBY is preparing to begin commercial operations in the near future. As part of its commercialization strategy for air taxi services, Joby recently completed its acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s urban air mobility passenger business — a major milestone on the path to launching commercial operations.

Following the acquisition, Joby Aviation and Uber Technologies UBER announced plans to bring Blade’s air mobility services to the latter’s app by 2026. Joby Aviation and Uber have collaborated on advancing the future of urban air mobility since 2019. In 2021, Joby Aviation acquired Uber’s Elevate division, which was instrumental in shaping the urban air mobility industry and creating key tools for market selection, demand forecasting and multi-modal operations.

Taking a Look at Another eVTOL Player

Joby’s main rival in the eVTOL space is Archer Aviation ACHR. In December, Archer Aviation shared its plan to build an air taxi network in the Miami metropolitan area. This initiative is meant to help people avoid road traffic and offer a safe and efficient new way to travel across the fast-growing region.

Moreover, Archer Aviation recently entered into a partnership with Karem Aircraft. Through this collaboration, Archer Aviation will gain access to Karem’s advanced rotor and tiltrotor technologies for the next-generation autonomous, hybrid-propulsion VTOL aircraft, supporting its goal of developing a dual-use aircraft that can meet the needs of both commercial users and military operators.

Joby’s Price, Valuation & Earnings Estimates

Shares of Joby have gained in double digits over the past six months, outperforming the Zacks Aerospace-Defense industry. 

6-Month Price Comparison

From a valuation perspective, Joby is trading at a premium compared with its industry. Joby carries a Value Score of F.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JOBY’s fourth-quarter 2025, first-quarter 2026, full-year 2025 and 2026 losses have widened over the past 60 days.

JOBY’s Zacks Rank

JOBY currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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