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Can air taxis fly in rain, wind, or snow?

By Air Taxi Landing

Some weather, yes. Bad weather, no. The first air taxis are being certified to fly by sight, in clear conditions, and to stay out of ice. Here’s what the FAA and EASA require, and what the companies say. We checked every source on October 22, 2026.

The short version

  • Joby’s and Archer’s air taxis are planned for visual flight rules (VFR) only. That means flying by looking outside, not through cloud.
  • They must stay controllable in winds of at least 17 knots (about 20 mph) from any direction while flying on rotor thrust, as in a hover.
  • They are not being certified to fly into icing. They must be able to detect ice and get out of it.
  • Rain and snow aren’t banned outright. But the pilot still has to see well enough to meet the visibility rules.

What’s the difference between VFR and IFR?

Under VFR, the pilot flies by seeing outside: other aircraft, the ground, and obstacles. Under instrument flight rules (IFR), the pilot can fly through cloud using instruments and air traffic control. The FAA notes that an aircraft not approved for IFR can’t fly into cloud or other low-visibility conditions and must use outside visual references. Source: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 airworthiness criteria, March 8, 2024.

The FAA’s rules for the two aircraft closest to U.S. service both say the same thing. Joby’s JAS4-1 and Archer’s Midnight (Model M001) are meant for single-pilot flights under VFR, both private flights and on-demand commercial flights (FAA Parts 91 and 135). Sources: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 criteria, FAA, Archer M001 criteria, May 24, 2024.

Europe starts in the same place. EASA says its rules for small air taxis focus on VFR flights by day. Its operating guidance for air taxi operators is also written around VFR by day. Sources: EASA Easy Access Rules for small category VCA, October 2024, EASA AMC and GM to Part-IAM, Issue 1.

How much visibility do they need?

It depends on the airspace and the time of day. Some U.S. examples from the VFR rule:

  • Most controlled airspace below 10,000 feet: 3 statute miles of visibility, plus rules on distance from clouds.
  • Taking off or landing at an airport with controlled airspace down to the ground: at least 3 miles of visibility, and no flying under a ceiling lower than 1,000 feet.
  • Low uncontrolled airspace by day: 1 mile and clear of clouds for airplanes, half a mile for helicopters.

There are exceptions, such as a special VFR clearance from air traffic control. Source: 14 CFR 91.155.

Air taxis are “powered-lift.” They fly like a helicopter at slow speed and like an airplane in cruise. The FAA’s 2024 powered-lift rule lets one use the helicopter visibility limits in that low, uncontrolled airspace only while it’s in vertical-lift mode and slow enough to see and avoid traffic and obstacles in time. Otherwise it uses the airplane limits. Source: 14 CFR part 194 (SFAR No. 120). How the FAA certifies powered-lift air taxis explains that rule.

In Europe, EASA’s guidance tells operators to plan landing options that are forecast to stay at or above the standard visibility and cloud limits for the airspace. Source: EASA AMC and GM to Part-IAM, Issue 1.

Can air taxis fly in wind and gusts?

Yes, within limits. The FAA requires Joby’s and Archer’s aircraft to stay controllable in winds from zero to at least 17 knots, from any direction, when flying on rotor thrust. The FAA says that matches its rules for helicopters. Sources: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 criteria, FAA, Archer M001 criteria.

EASA’s rule asks for control in wind up to a limit that suits the aircraft. Its guidance sets 17 knots as the minimum steady wind, based on helicopter experience, and lets makers choose a higher one. EASA also says exact gust values aren’t defined yet, and the recorded data needed to check them for cities isn’t available yet. Sources: EASA SC-VTOL Issue 2, June 2024, EASA Easy Access Rules for small category VCA.

The 17 knots is a minimum for certification, not a published limit for any one aircraft. On the day, EASA’s guidance tells operators to watch the live wind on approach so it stays within what they planned for landing. Source: EASA AMC and GM to Part-IAM, Issue 1.

Can air taxis fly in rain or snow?

No rule we found bans light rain or snow by itself. The limits come from visibility, ice, and what each aircraft is certified for.

EASA’s guidance says the pilot’s view outside shouldn’t be blocked by rain, hail, or snow. It also says an air taxi’s systems must work in the precipitation and turbulence it’s reasonably expected to meet. Source: EASA Easy Access Rules for small category VCA.

The FAA singled out snow. Commenters pointed out that small rotors and wings are prone to snow and ice. The FAA said blowing and recirculating snow is covered by its rules for engine operation and for the pilot’s view through the windshield. Source: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 criteria.

What about ice and lightning?

Ice is the hard line. The FAA notes that neither Joby nor Archer is seeking approval to fly into known icing for now. Instead, each aircraft must be able to detect icing, show it can avoid or exit it, and carry a limit that bans flying into it on purpose, including takeoff and landing. EASA’s rule for small air taxis has the same three parts. Sources: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 criteria, FAA, Archer M001 criteria, EASA SC-VTOL Issue 2.

On the ground, U.S. commercial rules (Part 135) say no one may take off with frost, ice, or snow stuck to a rotor blade, propeller, windshield, or control surface. The powered-lift rule adds that the surfaces the maker lists as critical must also be clear. Sources: 14 CFR 135.227, 14 CFR part 194.

Lightning is handled by design. The FAA requires protection even for VFR-only aircraft, because they might still meet lightning by accident. EASA’s guidance lists two accepted ways to limit the risk: fly only VFR by day with reliable reports of no significant cloud, or carry a certified way to detect lightning or storm cells. Sources: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 criteria, EASA Easy Access Rules for small category VCA.

How does certification handle weather?

A type certificate approves an aircraft for a set of conditions, not for all weather. The maker shows what the aircraft can handle, and operating limits are set to match, like the ban on flying into ice. A later approval can widen them. The FAA says that if Joby or Archer later seeks icing approval, it will set those standards then. Sources: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 criteria, FAA, Archer M001 criteria.

Structures are designed for gusts too. The FAA’s criteria require loads from gusts based on measured gust statistics. Source: FAA, Joby JAS4-1 criteria. Are air taxis safe? covers the wider safety rules.

What do the companies say?

Few publish weather limits. Joby says its prototypes flew “in a wide variety of weather and operational conditions” over four years of testing. Company-stated. Source: Joby, May 2, 2024.

Joby also says its 2025 test flights in Dubai ran in temperatures near 110°F, with humidity, sand, and dust, and that the aircraft handled as predicted in the thin, hot air. Company-stated. Source: Joby, July 28, 2025.

Neither statement is a certified weather limit. Those come with each aircraft’s type certificate and flight manual. When will air taxis launch? tracks who is closest.

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