Joby flies quiet electric air taxi in New York City

Joby Aviation confirmed this week it successfully performed an exhibition flight in New York City yesterday, marking the first-ever electric air taxi flight in the city and the first time Joby has flown in an urban setting.

The aircraft was flown on Sunday, November 12th, from the iconic Downtown Heliport in Manhattan, NY, where today, New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, announced the city’s intention to electrify the heliport, laying the groundwork for New York to become the global leader in the adoption of clean, quiet flight. Joby’s Manhattan flight and participation in the press conference – during which the aircraft is expected to fly again – follows several days of preparation flights at the HHI Heliport in Kearny, New Jersey.

“By electrifying one of the most famous heliports in the world, New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel. We’re grateful for the support of the city, and we’re honoured to be working with visionary partners like Delta Air Lines to bring our air taxi service to this market,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers, while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise.”

Joby previously announced through its partnership with Delta Air Lines that it expects New York to be one of its early launch markets after receiving certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company plans to offer fast, quiet journeys using its piloted, four-passenger electric aircraft which has zero operating emissions. Joby’s aircraft is optimized for rapid, back-to-back flights and can fly up to 100 miles on a single charge, covering 99% of all trips taken today across New York City’s five boroughs. While travelling from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) can take more than an hour by car, Joby expects the trip to take just seven minutes by air.

Joby begins flight testing with pilot on board

Joby Aviation, announced this week, it has expanded its flight test program to include flying with a pilot on board the aircraft, a critical step on the company’s journey towards commercial operations.

Four members of Joby’s flight test team have now piloted flights on board the Company’s pre-production prototype aircraft, completing a series of initial tests that included free thrustborne hovers and forward transitions to semi-thrustborne flight.

The testing took place at the company’s Pilot Production Facility in Marina, CA and complements ongoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base announced in September, where both Joby and U.S. Air Force pilots will demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities in realistic operating scenarios.

To date, the majority of Joby’s flight testing has been piloted remotely from a ground control station (GCS), using state-of-the-art communications technology and software. This has allowed the company to generate a vast amount of data on the performance of the aircraft across a broad range of flight conditions.

The pilot on board campaign was led by Joby Chief Test Pilot James “Buddy” Denham and was designed to gather data on the aircraft’s handling qualities and pilot control interfaces, supporting the development of the aircraft and laying the groundwork for future “for credit” testing as part of the company’s ongoing certification program with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Joby delivers the first eVTOL aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base ahead of schedule

Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, this week announced it has delivered its first aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base approximately six months ahead of the expected 2024 delivery date. On-base operations with Joby aircraft will be used to demonstrate a range of logistics missions, including cargo and passenger transportation, and will be operated by both Joby and U.S. Air Force personnel. In partnership with the U.S. Air Force, NASA will also use the aircraft for research focused on how these aircraft could fit into the national airspace, benefiting the entire air taxi industry.

Joby Aircraft Becomes First Electric Air Taxi Delivered to the U.S. Air Force

Believed to be the First Electric Air Taxi Delivered in the U.S.

Aircraft will be Used to Demonstrate Logistics Missions on Base, Flown by U.S. Air Force Pilots

Delivery is Part of Joby’s $131 Million Contract with the DOD

Joby’s aircraft, which has already begun flying at Edwards AFB, is the first electric air taxi to be stationed on a U.S. military base and is believed to be the first delivery of an electric air taxi in the U.S., as part of Joby’s $131 million AFWERX Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force. Joby’s current and previously completed work with the Department of Defense represents a total potential contract value of $163 million, the largest in the industry.

The Agility Prime contract includes the provisioning of up to nine aircraft to the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies, reinforcing the U.S. government’s continued leadership in developing and adopting eVTOL technology, and ushering in a new era of electric aviation. A second aircraft is planned to be delivered to Edwards in early 2024.

The aircraft, which was the first built on Joby’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, CA, will be stationed at Edwards Air Force Base for at least the next year, with charging and ground support equipment provided on-base by Joby in a facility purpose-built by the Air Force for joint flight test operations. The U.S. Air Force and Joby will conduct joint flight testing and operations to demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities in realistic mission settings. On-base operations will also include the training of Air Force pilots and aircraft maintenance crews, which will provide the DOD with valuable insight into the performance of eVTOL aircraft and will give Joby on-the-ground operational and training experience as the company prepares for the launch of commercial passenger service in 2025.

Joby picks Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation, for first scaled manufacturing facility

Joby Aviation has announced it plans to locate its first scaled aircraft production facility in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. 

The Wright Brothers, who invented and flew the first powered aircraft, lived and worked in Dayton and opened the first aeroplane factory in the United States there in 1910. The city is also home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories which has played a key role in supporting Joby’s development.

Joby plans to build a facility capable of delivering up to 500 aircraft per year at the Dayton International Airport, supporting up to 2,000 jobs. The 140-acre site it has selected has the potential to support significant further growth over time, providing enough land to build up to two million square feet of manufacturing space. Construction of the scaled Ohio facility is expected to start in 2024 and it is expected to come online in 2025. Joby plans to use existing nearby buildings to begin near-term operations.

The State of Ohio, JobsOhio and local political subdivisions have offered incentives and benefits of up to $325 million to support the development of the facility, while Joby plans to invest up to $500 million as it scales operations at the site. Joby is also announcing today that it has been invited by the U.S. Department of Energy to submit a Part II Application for financing under the Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program, which provides access to low-interest loans for clean energy projects and would support the scaling of the facility.

Joby’s long-term investor, Toyota, who worked with Joby on the design and successful launch of the company’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, California, plans to continue to advise Joby as it prepares for scaled production of its commercial passenger air taxi in Ohio.

“We’re building the future of aviation right where it all started, in Dayton, Ohio,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “The Wright Brothers harnessed revolutionary technology of their time to open up the skies, and we intend to do the same — this time, bringing quiet and emissions-free flight that we hope will have an equally profound impact on our world.

“The U.S. continues to lead the way on introducing this technology, with unprecedented levels of support across all areas and levels of government. We’re incredibly grateful to Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator JD Vance, Representative Mike Turner, and the team at JobsOhio for their support, as well as the representatives of the many other states we worked with during this process.

“Our partnership with Ohio is a great example of how successful public-private partnership amongst industry, local, state and federal government can bring important new technology to life.”

Joby subsidiary H2FLY completes World’s first piloted flight of liquid hydrogen powered electric aircraft

H2FLY, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Joby Aviation has announced the successful completion of the world’s first piloted flight of a liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft.

H2FLY, acquired by Joby in 2021, continues to lead the industry on the development and testing of hydrogen aviation propulsion systems. The company completed a series of piloted flights with its HY4 demonstrator aircraft, including one that lasted more than three hours, fitted with a hydrogen-electric fuel cell propulsion system and liquid hydrogen that powered it for the entire flight.

The flights demonstrate the viability of using cryogenically-stored liquid hydrogen instead of gaseous hydrogen, which enables significantly lower tank weights and volume, leading to longer range. The successful installation and demonstration of flight with liquid hydrogen is believed to increase the range of H2FLY’s HY4 demonstrator aircraft from 466 mi (750 km) to 932 mi (1500 km), marking a critical step towards the long-term decarbonization of mid- to long-range aviation.

Joby Aviation's first annual environmental, social, governance report released.

Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced the release of its first annual Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) report.

As part of the Company’s commitment to positive impact, Joby has released its first ESG report, accessible on Joby’s website. The report, which covers Joby’s progress through 2022, marks a first step for Joby – and the wider eVTOL industry – in understanding the holistic impact of its manufacturing and planned operations. It also allows the company to gain a deeper insight into areas for improvement as it grows.

The development of the report was led by Claire Boland, Joby’s newly-appointed Sustainability Lead. Boland brings a decade of expertise leading multinational organizations on strategy and execution of greenhouse gas measurement and reduction, sustainable sourcing, and circular product development, including roles at PVH Corporation and PepsiCo, Inc.

“I’m delighted to join a company that is changing the future of transportation for the better while being transparent about how we impact the environment and local communities,” commented Boland.

Joby completes submission of stage three certification plans to the FAA

Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, this week announced it has submitted all of its Certification Plans to the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), marking further progress toward completing the third of five stages required to certify its aircraft for commercial use.

In the third stage of the FAA type certification process (“Certification Plans”), Joby specifies the tests, analyses, and design reports the Company intends to perform to demonstrate compliance with each safety regulation that applies to the Company’s aircraft, as defined in the second stage (“Means of Compliance”).

In February, Joby became the first eVTOL company to complete the second stage of the certification process, after becoming the first to complete stage one and have its Certification Basis published in the Federal Register.

“Joby continues to lead the way on certifying eVTOL aircraft with the FAA, and today’s news is another step towards launching commercial service in 2025,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Head of Aircraft OEM at Joby. “We’re grateful for the FAA’s continued commitment to safely introducing next-generation aircraft into service.”

Joby marks production launch and welcomes new board member

Joby has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the first aircraft built at its Pilot Production Line in Marina, CA, allowing flight testing to begin

The aircraft is expected to become the first-ever eVTOL aircraft to be delivered to a customer

Production line and aircraft built in close collaboration with strategic partner and investor, Toyota

California Governor Gavin Newsom visited Joby to mark the occasion

Joby Aviation, a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the first aircraft built at its Pilot Production Line in Marina, California. Issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, the certificate allows Joby to begin flight testing of its first production prototype.

The aircraft is expected to become the first-ever eVTOL aircraft to be delivered to a customer when it moves to Edwards Air Force Base in 2024 to be operated by Joby as part of the Company’s Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force, worth up to $131 million.

Joby has been flying full-size aircraft since 2017 and its pre-production prototype aircraft have flown more than 30,000 miles since 2019. Today’s production prototype builds on that experience and marks another important step toward achieving FAA certification and production at scale.

Commenting on Joby’s progress, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said: “Today’s achievement is the culmination of years of investment in our processes and technology and it marks a major step on our journey to scaled production.

“We’re proud to have launched production in our home state of California. I’m incredibly grateful to the Joby team for their commitment to ensuring Joby remains the clear leader in this new sector and to Toyota for sharing their knowledge and experience with us over many years. Their support has been indispensable in helping us reach this point.”

Joby Aviation Reports First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Joby Aviation, one of those firms that are developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, has just released details of its First Quarter 2023 results. 

The company continued to maintain a strong balance sheet with $978 million in cash and short-term marketable securities at the end of the quarter, excluding approximately $180 million of net proceeds from its public offering, led by Baillie Gifford, which was announced earlier today and is expected to close on May 5, 2023. These additional funds are expected to be used to accelerate Joby’s early production, enabling the business to capitalize on near-term revenue opportunities without impacting the funds available to carry the company through to type certification of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Key operating highlights from the quarter:

First company-conforming aircraft is nearing completion and is on track to roll out, as planned, in the first half of this year

Signed a $55 million contract extension with the Department of Defense that includes the provision and operation of up to nine aircraft, with the first two to be stationed at Edwards Air Force Base by early 2024

A further three Area Specific Certification Plans (ASCPs) were submitted to the FAA, bringing the total to 11 of 13 ASCPs submitted. Two additional ASCPs were accepted by the FAA

Four U.S. Air Force pilots learned to fly the Joby aircraft, becoming the first uniformed personnel to fly an eVTOL aircraft through transition as sole pilot-in-command

Commenting on the results, JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO, Joby, said: “Already in 2023 we’ve achieved significant milestones in production, testing and funding, and I’m incredibly excited about our progress as we move towards our goal of launching commercial service in 2025.

“The decision by Baillie Gifford to invest further in Joby is a testament to their long-term belief in the electrification of transportation and their track record speaks for itself. We couldn’t be more proud to have their support,” he added.

Joby selects Michael Huerta to its Board of Directors

Joby Aviation, a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced the appointment of Michael Huerta, former Administrator of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to the Company’s Board of Directors.

Huerta also serves on the Board of Directors for Delta Air Lines, which announced a multi-year, multi-market commercial and operational partnership with Joby in October 2022. As part of the agreement between the two companies, Delta made an up-front equity investment in Joby of $60 million, with a total investment of up to $200 million possible based on the achievement of mutually agreed progress milestones.

Huerta’s appointment to the Board of Directors follows the appointment of Dan Elwell, former Acting Administrator of the FAA, to the Company’s Advisory Board in 2021. The FAA plays a critical role in bringing eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) to market, and the appointment comes as Joby continues to make substantial progress in certifying its aircraft with the FAA for commercial passenger use in 2025. Joby is the first eVTOL company to complete the first two of five stages in the FAA’s type certification process, as well as receive airworthiness approval from the U.S. Air Force.

“Michael is joining our team at a pivotal time for Joby and the broader eVTOL industry, and his dual seat on Joby and Delta’s Boards will be invaluable as we prepare for commercial operations,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “He has been a strong proponent of electric aircraft and future aviation technologies, and we’re grateful for the passion and depth of experience he brings to our team.”

Huerta completed a five-year term as FAA Administrator in 2018, during which the agency earned an unprecedented safety record. He previously served as Acting FAA Administrator from 2011 to 2013 and Deputy FAA Administrator from 2010 to 2011. Huerta is currently a consultant serving the aviation and transportation industries, and also serves on the Board of Directors of Verra Mobility Corp.

Commenting on Huerta’s appointment, Delta CEO Ed Bastian added, “Joby and Delta are pioneering a groundbreaking new way to travel. Michael’s aviation experience is a tremendous benefit to both companies as we work to deeply integrate our two services to make booking travel easier, the end-to-end journey more seamless, and to deliver customers maximum time savings.”

“The United States is on the verge of a new era of aviation, with electric aircraft like Joby’s transforming how we travel,” said Huerta. “I’ve been impressed by Joby’s leadership in the sector and look forward to supporting the team as it works toward making fast and clean everyday flight a reality.”

Joby has continued to build its Board of Directors with unrivaled industry expertise. In addition to Huerta, the Company’s Board members include Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a Partner at Greylock; Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox; Dr. James Kuffner, CEO and Representative Director of Woven Planet Holdings, and a Member of the Board of Directors and Operating Officer of Toyota; Dipender Saluja, Managing Director of Capricorn Investment Group; Halimah DeLaine Prado, General Counsel of Google; and Laura Wright, former CFO of Southwest Airlines Co. The board is chaired by Paul Sciarra, co-founder of Pinterest.

Joby Aviation begins final assembly of its first company-conforming eVTOL aircraft

Joby Aviation, Inc. confirmed this week it has begun the final assembly of what is believed to be the world’s first company-conforming electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The aircraft, which is the first to be produced at Joby’s pilot manufacturing facility in Marina, California, has been manufactured in accordance with a released design and built according to a complete implementation of a quality management system, qualifying it as a company-conforming aircraft - an important step on the path to achieving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification required to begin commercial passenger operations.

“Beginning final assembly of our first company-conforming aircraft is a critical achievement for Joby and a landmark for the wider eVTOL industry,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Head of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

“It unlocks the path ahead and allows us to exercise our quality management system in preparation for type certification and a subsequent production certification,” he added. “There is an incredible amount of work that goes into getting to this point and I’m very grateful for the energy and commitment of the team behind this achievement.”

Joby completes second stage of certification process

Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing all-electric aircraft, today announced it has completed the second of five stages required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify its revolutionary electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger use.

In the second stage of the type certification process, a company identifies the ways in which it will demonstrate it has met the regulatory intent of the safety rules (“Means of Compliance”) that were defined during the first stage of the process (“Certification Basis”).

Joby believes it is the first eVTOL company to reach this milestone, having also been the first eVTOL company to complete stage one and have its Certification Basis published in the Federal Register. Achieving this goal moves Joby one step closer to its target of launching commercial passenger service by 2025.

“Certification is an integral part of everything that an aerospace company does and with the achievement of this critical milestone, we’re now able to confidently focus our efforts on closing the remaining certification plans and completing the testing required to certify our aircraft,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Head of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

Joby Appoints Former JSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Scott Howell to Advisory Board

Joby Aviation, Inc has announced the appointment of Lt. Gen. (ret) Scott Howell, former Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), to the Company’s Advisory Board.

As JSOC Commander, Lt. Gen. Howell was responsible for the readiness and mission execution of highly-specialized forces across the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. Howell previously served as Vice Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), focused on organizing, training, and equipping more than 70,000 Special Operations personnel, as well as the organization’s acquisitions and budgeting. Lt. Gen. Howell served in special operations for more than two decades and deployed extensively.

“The U.S. government and in particular the Department of Defense have been important partners to Joby for more than five years, supporting the development and testing of our technology through access to DoD expertise, feedback, and facilities,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.

“Our collaboration is a vital source of operational experience and near-term support for research and development activities, and, as we move closer to our primary goal of launching a commercial aerial ridesharing service, we look forward to growing these partnerships, as we draw on Scott’s broad experience in this field,” he added.

Delta and Joby Aviation partner to pioneer home-to-airport transportation to customers

Delta & Joby Aviation partner to pioneer home-to-airport transportation to customers

Photo Joby Aviation

Delta Air Lines is once again deepening its commitment to transform the future of travel: the airline is embarking on a multi-year, multi-market commercial and operational partnership with Joby Aviation, Inc., to deliver transformational, sustainable home-to-airport transportation service to Delta customers, beginning in New York and Los Angeles.

As part of the first-of-its-kind arrangement, the companies will work together to integrate a Joby-operated service into Delta’s customer-facing channels, providing customers who travel with Delta through New York and Los Angeles the opportunity to reserve a seat for seamless, zero-operating-emission, short-range journeys to and from city airports when booking Delta travel.

Delta has made an upfront equity investment of $60 million in Joby, with the opportunity to expand the total investment up to $200 million as the partners achieve substantive milestones on the development and delivery of the service. The partners will work together to create a differentiated, premium experience for Delta customers featuring seamless booking, simplified transit and greater time savings. This will run alongside Joby’s standard airport service in priority markets. The partnership will be mutually exclusive across the U.S. and U.K. for five years following commercial launch, with the potential to extend that period. 

“Delta always looks forward and embraces opportunities to lead the future, and we’ve found in Joby a partner that shares our pioneering spirit and commitment to delivering innovative, seamless experiences that are better for our customers, their journeys, and our world,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “This is a groundbreaking opportunity for Delta to deliver a time-saving, uniquely premium home-to-airport solution for customers in key markets we’ve been investing and innovating in for many years.”

Joby Aviation expands its tie up with U.S. Department of Defence

Joby Aviation, the California-based company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft, has announced an expansion of its existing contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime programme that increases the contract’s potential value by more than $45 million.

Building on more than five years of engagement with defence agencies, the expanded contract leverages Joby’s years of research and technology development and will include new testing to evaluate Joby’s advanced technologies. It brings the potential value of the total contract to more than $75 million.

The contract also widens the Company’s defence partnerships to include the U.S. Marine Corps, which will participate in government-directed flight tests and use case exploration, including resupply, relocation of personnel, and emergency medical response applications.

“As we work toward our goal of launching a passenger ridesharing service, we’re grateful for the support of our defence partners. This extension provides valuable support for our ongoing development efforts and allows our partners to see first-hand the potential for this aircraft in their future concept of operations” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.

Joby Applies for U.K. Aircraft Certification

    Plans to bring its revolutionary electric aircraft to U.K. market

    Becomes first eVTOL company to apply for foreign validation of its FAA type        certification

    Demonstrates leadership by U.S. and U.K. regulators on bringing innovative          technologies to market

Joby Aviation, the California-based company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has formally applied for its revolutionary aircraft design to be certified for use in the United Kingdom. 

 While Joby is currently pursuing the “type certification” for its aircraft with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and expects the U.S. to be its first operating market, this application will allow Joby’s U.S.-based certification to be concurrently validated by the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (“CAA”), accelerating the Company’s path to market in the U.K. Joby is believed to be the first eVTOL company to apply for foreign validation of its FAA type certificate.

With a maximum range of 150 miles and a quiet acoustic profile, Joby’s five-seat, piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft is designed to connect people and cities through fast, quiet, and emissions-free flight.

Joby’s application builds on a joint statement by the FAA and CAA in March, announcing their intent to leverage the existing Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the two regulators to streamline the introduction of eVTOL aircraft using existing regulatory frameworks.

Commenting on the application, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby Aviation, said: “By working hand-in-hand on certification, the U.K. and the U.S. are setting the stage for these two countries to be amongst the earliest adopters of this important new technology."

Joby receives part 135 Certification from the FAA

Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate received ahead of schedule, initially targeted for second half of 2022

Certification allows Joby to operate aircraft commercially

Joby will use conventional aircraft to refine systems and procedures in advance of launching eVTOL service targeted for 2024

Joby’s air operations team pictured receiving the company’s Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA’s San Jose Flight Standards District Office. (Photo: Business Wire)

 

Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced the Company has received a Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing Joby to begin on-demand commercial air taxi operations.

Joby received the certification ahead of schedule, with completion of the process originally expected in the second half of 2022. The five-stage process included the submission of more than 850 pages of manuals for approval and required Joby’s initial cadre of pilots to demonstrate mastery of the Company’s procedures and training under FAA observation.

The Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate is one of three FAA approvals required for Joby to operate its revolutionary electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as an air taxi service in cities and communities across the United States, alongside a Type Certificate and a Production Certificate.

Bonny Simi, Head of Air Operations and People at Joby, and one of the Company’s FAA-approved pilots, stated: “The procedures we’ve prepared lay a foundation for our future eVTOL operations. Over the coming months, we will use our Part 135 certificate to exercise the operations and customer technology platforms that will underpin our multi-modal ridesharing service, while also refining our procedures to ensure seamless journeys for our customers."

“Receiving this certificate ahead of schedule is a testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of our team,” added Simi.

Once Joby receives a type certificate for its eVTOL aircraft, the Company will complete the FAA review process to add the new aircraft type to its existing air carrier certificate. Pilots for the Company’s future aerial ridesharing service, expected to launch in 2024, will have the benefit of flying an environmentally-friendly aircraft on a reliable work schedule, ending each shift in their home city.

TMAP Joins Joby and SKT in Partnership to Bring Air Taxi Service to South Korea

Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today confirmed that TMAP, South Korea’s largest mobility platform, will join Joby’s partnership with SK Telecom to bring aerial ridesharing services to Korea.

As Korea’s largest mobility platform, TMAP holds an unprecedented amount of transportation and mapping data gathered over the last 20 years. This data will inform the partners’ design of optimal air taxi routes, infrastructure networks, and an overall mobility service that suits the preferences of Korean consumers.

TMAP also jointly owns on-demand ride-hailing app UT along with Uber, a partner to Joby since 2019, which will enable multi-modal journeys that seamlessly integrate both ground and air travel.

Together with SK Telecom, Korea’s leading telecommunications company, TMAP and Joby will work together to integrate emissions-free aerial ridesharing into TMAP’s transportation services.

“TMAP’s deep knowledge and understanding of mobility needs across Korea, along with millions of daily users across Korea, makes them a great partner and platform through which to bring our aerial ridesharing service to customers,” said Justin Lang, Head of Partnerships and Corporate Strategy at Joby. “South Korea is a remarkable opportunity for our aircraft to improve lives and save people time, and working with SKT and TMAP puts us in the best position to deliver a revolutionary service that is clean, quiet, and affordable.”

Joby and SKT previously announced an agreement to work closely on introducing emissions-free aerial ridesharing to Korean cities and communities in support of the “K-UAM” (Korean Urban Air Mobility) Roadmap laid out by the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport.

Commenting on the announcement, Lee Jong Ho, CEO of TMAP Mobility, said: “By cooperating with Joby, TMAP will become a platform operator that can offer a seamless transportation service between the ground and the sky.”

While Joby’s aerial ridesharing service will be operated directly by the company and offered to passengers via the Joby app or Uber app in core US markets, this announcement reflects Joby’s strategy to partner with local companies committed to delivering exceptional customer service and operational excellence to launch its service in select international markets.

With a maximum range of 150 miles (241 kilometers), a top speed of 200 mph (321 km/h), and a low noise profile that will allow it to access urban areas, Joby's piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is designed to make convenient, emissions-free air travel an everyday reality.

 

Use the voucher code MAY22FREE to get free delivery in May from Help for Heroes.

 Apply the code at the checkout for UK standard delivery. 

not applicable to international or next day delivery.

Want me in your inbox? Follow here for email updates Air101 here.

Joby Resumes Flight Testing of eVTOL Aircraft

Joby Aviation, the California-based company developing an all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, has announced its second pre-production prototype aircraft has resumed flight testing at the Company’s pilot production facility in Marina, CA.

The aircraft first flew in January, having received approval to fly from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Air Force. To date, it has made 38 flights, reaching speeds of more than 90 miles per hour, in support of the Company’s aircraft type certification program.

“We’re excited to be back in the air with our second pre-production prototype aircraft, building on the tremendous flight test achievements our team has made to date,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Head of Programs and Systems at Joby.

“Last year alone, we flew more than 5,300 miles, generating 65 terabytes of flight test data and demonstrating an endurance of 154.6 miles on a single charge.”

Joby’s internal safety review board lifted the Company’s pause on flight testing earlier this week, which it voluntarily introduced following an accident involving the Company’s first pre-production prototype earlier this year.

Joby continues to work closely with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) to investigate the accident and provides regular briefings on its flight test plans.

Follow this site here.

Joby Becomes First eVTOL Company to Submit Area-Specific Certification Plan

Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has submitted its first area-specific certification plan to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), believed to be an industry first.

The plan, which is the first of several that Joby will be required to submit, brings the company one step closer to receiving type certification for its aircraft, laying out the combination of design reports, analysis and testing that it will employ to demonstrate compliance with rigorous FAA safety standards for one functional area of the aircraft.

“Today’s milestone is the result of many years of hard work by both the Joby team and the FAA,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Head of Programs and Systems at Joby. “It’s also another indication of the great momentum we have on the certification front. With more than two thirds of our means of compliance now agreed with the FAA, we’re looking forward to maintaining that momentum with the submission of further certification plans in the near future.”

The certification plan submitted earlier this week is focused on cabin safety, comprising the integrity of materials, seats, and occupant restraints used in the interior of the aircraft.

In February, Joby announced it had completed its first series of FAA conformity tests to confirm the material strength of the composite material comprising the aerostructure of the aircraft. In 2020, Joby became the first and only electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company to sign a G-1 (stage 4) certification basis with the FAA, having received an initial (stage 2) signed G-1 from the FAA in 2019.

Joby’s piloted five-seat eVTOL aircraft can carry four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, with a maximum range of 150 miles on a single charge. With more than 10 years of development and over a thousand flight tests completed, Joby is targeting the launch of its aerial ridesharing service in 2024.

Follow this site here.