Joby and Beta fly electric aircraft across Tampa Bay

Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies began Florida eVTOL Integration Pilot Program flights on October 31. The aircraft retraced the St. Petersburg-to-Tampa route associated with the world’s first scheduled airline flight.

• Florida eIPP flights opened on October 31, 2026
• Companies: Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies
• Route linked St. Petersburg and Tampa
• Historic comparison: first scheduled airline route from 1914
• Program supports Florida’s planned air-taxi network

Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies opened Florida’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program operations with flights around Tampa Bay. The demonstration used a highly symbolic route: St. Petersburg to Tampa, echoing the 1914 flight widely recognized as the first scheduled airline service.

The flights are part of eIPP, a government-backed effort to test how electric aircraft can fit into real airspace, airports and passenger networks. Joby is developing a vertical-takeoff air taxi, while Beta has pursued electric aircraft with a different design path, so flying side by side gave Florida a look at more than one approach.

The comparison with 1914 is neat, but the practical issue is bigger. Air taxis will need routes, charging, regulators, landing sites and public acceptance before they become normal transport. These flights are small steps, but they move the idea from renderings and test sites into recognizable city corridors.