Electric air taxis to be showcased at this weekend’s Salinas Airshow

SALINAS, Calif. (KGO) — The future of air travel will be showcased at the Salinas Airshow this weekend. Two local companies developing air taxis will have on-site displays.

A new generation of aviation is right around the corner – air taxis.

SF Fleet Week 2025 schedule: Air show, performances and more

This weekend, Joby Aviation‘s electric aircraft will take flight at the Salinas Airshow – weather permitting. Joby is a Santa Cruz-based company that is developing air taxis for commercial passenger service.

Didier Papadopoulos is the president of Aircraft OEM.

“It’s particularly special for us because you know, it’s in our backyard, right? We’ve been able to demonstrate this aircraft around the world, and now here’s an opportunity for us to do it you know in our backyard,” Papadopoulos said.

This weekend will be the first time the public can see a demonstration and step into the Joby aircraft at an airshow.

“So we have a pilot in the aircraft, and up to four passengers, when we fly we takeoff like a helicopter, then we go through a transition, that transition phase turns you from a helicopter like hover, into a fixed wing flight,” Papadopoulos said.

Aviation enthusiasts and members of the community can also speak with engineers and Joby team members about how it works.

“It’s very much like ordering an Uber – in fact, we are partnering with Uber so you’re able to order the whole journey through Uber app or through the Joby app,” Papadopoulos said.

An example could be ordering an aircraft from New York City to take you to JFK airport, a trip that can take more than an hour by car, but seven minutes by air.

As for the Salinas Airshow, the two-day event draws in around 65,000 people.

Executive Director Harry Wardwell says because of the Government shutdown, the Navy’s Blue Angels had to cancel and left Thursday morning.

VIDEO: Blue Angels leave CA airbase as government shutdown impacts airshows

“It’s a terrible disappointment to our committee, to our community and to our airshow fans, you know – we’ve been planning for a year to host the Blue Angels they came out about a year ago during a winter visit to set up the whole program and we have many steps that you go through, hundreds of man hours, thousands of dollars are spent – it’s unfortunate and it’s out of our control,” Wardwell said.

But Wardwell says after 44 years of airshow, having the presence of electric air taxi companies like Joby and Archer Aviation makes this weekend a special one.

“This is the future, and it’s very exciting that we’re going to be the first air show where people are able to get to round it, see it, see it fly, it’s going to be a very exciting thing this weekend,” Wardwell said.

Gates for the Salinas Airshow open at 9 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.