Virgin Atlantic intends to partner with California-based electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation on service to London Heathrow and Manchester airports.
Virgin Atlantic will support Joby's efforts to achieve certification and bring its four-seat electric aircraft to market.
Virgin Atlantic envisions an extensive air taxi route network in England.
Virgin would market the service to its customers and lobby for the development of vertical landing areas at airports and air taxi stations. The air taxi would be capable of traveling up to 200 mph on routes as long as 100 miles.
An air taxi ride from Heathrow to London's Canary Wharf, for example, would take just eight minutes instead of 80 minutes by car, the companies said.
Virgin envisions its customers reserving Joby
commuter rides through the airline's booking platforms and channels.
"Over time, Joby expects to build out a network of landing locations that offer rapid and convenient travel around cities and communities throughout the U.K.," the company said. "Joby expects to offer prices that are comparable with existing premium ground ridesharing options at launch."
Virgin Atlantic did not say how much it will invest in Joby.
Joby has a partnership with Delta, which announced a $60 million investment in the air taxi startup in 2022, with initial plans calling for commuter routes to airports in New York and Los Angeles.