Electric aircraft from Joby and BETA fly St. Petersburg to Tampa under a federal pilot programme

Two electric aircraft flew across Tampa Bay this week as Florida joined a U.S. government programme meant to bring electric air taxis into everyday airspace. BETA Technologies' ALIA CX300 and Joby Aviation's S4 flew from Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA says the Florida Department of Transportation ran the flights with the two companies to test cargo deliveries and routes over the Tampa Bay area. Neither company is carrying paying passengers yet.

A route with history

The route was chosen on purpose. The FAA says the flights recreated the world's first scheduled airline flight, which pilot Tony Jannus flew between St. Petersburg and Tampa in 1914.

AI-generated

Florida is the seventh location to start flying under the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, the FAA says. eVTOL stands for electric vertical takeoff and landing, meaning aircraft that lift off straight up like a helicopter. The FAA says the programme's eight projects, selected in March 2026, span 28 states, and it is meant to give regulators and companies real-world experience before commercial service. The FAA says the state transportation department and aircraft maker Electra will run flight tests at several locations in central Florida in November.

Two different kinds of electric aircraft

The two aircraft take off in different ways. Joby's S4 is a vertical-takeoff air taxi with tilting propellers, carrying a pilot and four passengers. WUSF, the Tampa public radio station, reports a top speed of about 200 mph. BETA's ALIA CX300 is a conventional electric airplane that uses a runway.

BETA says it completed 14 all-electric flights across Florida covering nearly 700 nautical miles. WUSF quotes BETA's head of flight operations, Chris Caputo, giving a broader count for the Florida demonstrations: he said the companies conducted 26 flights over three days, and that the aircraft used 1,892 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which he estimated cost around $300. BETA's own release counts only its 14 flights.

AI-generated

Joby says it is flying a week-long series of piloted flights across Florida with the state transportation department, taking its aircraft from Tampa to Orlando and on to the Space Coast, including flights at Orlando International Airport and Kennedy Space Center. Joby calls the flights the first step toward commercial service in the state. It has not announced Florida fares or booking dates.

Florida is preparing the ground

The state has been laying groundwork. WUSF reports that Florida has expanded SunTrax, a 775-acre research and testing site in Polk County, to include two vertiports with charging equipment, an aerial test track and hangar space. Vertiports are the landing sites air taxis would use. FOX 13 also covered the flight to Tampa International.

Why this belongs on an EV site

Electric aircraft use many of the same building blocks as electric cars: lithium-ion battery packs, electric motors and fast chargers. Analysis: The energy numbers WUSF reported give a rare public glimpse of operating costs. Around $300 of electricity across 26 flights sounds cheap, but that figure leaves out batteries, maintenance, pilots and certification, which are where most of the cost will sit. It is too early to say what a ticket would cost.

What we still do not know

None of the sources gives a date for paid passenger flights in Florida, a price, or how many aircraft would serve a route. Joby describes this week as a first step, and BETA has not announced passenger service on this route.

For other ways electric vehicles are being tested without a human driver, see our story on Xpeng's robotaxi permits.

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