Joby and Metropolis partner to develop 25 vertiports

Air taxi company Joby Aviation has announced a partnership with Metropolis Technologies to develop 25 vertiports across the US utilising Metropolis’ network of parking locations.

The partnership will incorporate Metropolis’ AI-based recognition technology, as well the company’s extensive footprint across aviation and baggage services.

Aviation services

Following its $1.5bn acquisition of SP+, and $1.6bn series D financing, Metropolis claims it is the largest parking network and operator in North America, operating more than 4,200 parking locations, as well as aviation services in more than 350 locations.

The planned vertiports will be strategically selected across Metropolis’ portfolio in early electric air taxi markets and use Metropolis’ computer vision technology. The companies report they will also be evaluating both new and existing facilities for the integration of vertiports.

“We are taking the data and recognition capabilities we’ve built in our network and extending it to air travel, creating the seamless, personalised, and magical experience that is the foundation of the Recognition Economy”

“For air taxis to deliver on their promise of seamless urban travel, they must connect directly with the existing ground transportation ecosystem,” said JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and founder of Joby

“By leveraging existing parking infrastructure to create mobility hubs, we can deliver on our vision of seamless connectivity for our customers and also maximise the value of those sites without needing to build infrastructure from scratch.”

The companies plan to leverage Metropolis’ technology, including biometrics, broader computer vision and services like baggage handling, to help accelerate Joby’s efforts to integrate its air taxi service directly into existing ground transportation hubs and deploy compact, high throughput vertiport designs that satisfy safety and regulatory standards.