East Bay To Marin In 10 Minutes: Air Taxi Company Tests Flights Above The Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — An air taxi company is one step closer to shrinking the commute from the East Bay to Marin County to mere minutes after completing a series of demo flights across the San Francisco Bay this month.

Video obtained by Patch from Joby Aviation shows the company's air taxi smoothly taking off from Oakland International Airport, flying across the San Francisco Bay to the Marin Headlands, and over the Golden Gate Bridge before coming back to a landing Friday.

The flights could potentially turn hour-long driving commutes into quick 10-minute flights across the Bay Area.

"With one of the world’s most recognizable skylines as a backdrop, the company showcased its operational readiness in a region defined by traffic congestion," Joby Aviation said in a statement Friday. "The iconic backdrop is the first stop in a journey to introduce Americans to a future where a daily commute will take minutes, not hours."

San Francisco recently ranked third worst in the United States for traffic conestion, according to a study from navigation and GPS company TomTom. Bay Area drivers lost an average of 112 hours to traffic in 2025, according to Joby Aviation officials.

It's unclear exactly when Joby Aviations will offer these air taxis services or how the product would function on a large-scale. The launch of Joby Aviation would come at a time when cities are exploring different ways to deal with congestion during massive events, such as the the Olympics.

"Our technology provides an opportunity to build on the immense potential of this region while protecting it for the next generation," JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said in a staetment. "By providing clean, quiet service with minimal infrastructure investment we are making flight an everyday reality for the community."

Joby Aviation isn't the only Bay Area company taking cars to new limits.

Alef Aeronautics, a company in Silicon Valley, began manufacturing flying cars last year. Thousands have already preordered the flying vehicle from Aeronautics, priced at more than $300,000.

RELATED: Air Taxi Company Could Connect East Bay To Marin In 10 Minutes

In Los Angeles, city officials are looking at water taxis as a potential way to minimize traffic congestion during the 2028 Olympics.