Santa Cruz, CA, May 02, 2024 — Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced it has successfully completed its pre-production prototype flight test program and is now focused on the next phase of flight testing, during which the Company will use its production prototype aircraft to prepare for upcoming for-credit flight testing.

Joby first began flying full-scale pre-production prototype aircraft more than four years ago, and the Company’s two pre-production aircraft subsequently completed more than 1,500 flights, spanning a total distance of over 33,000 miles, including more than 100 flights with a pilot onboard. The second pre-production aircraft also completed the first electric air taxi exhibition flights in New York City, when it flew from the Manhattan Downtown Heliport over the Hudson River in November 2023.

“Over the course of this test program, our team has shown the world how real electric air taxis  are, with tens of thousands of miles flown using today’s battery technology,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “Our pre-production aircraft were the second full-scale generation of Joby’s design, and their performance met or exceeded our predictions throughout the program, successfully achieving our targets for maximum range, speed, and a revolutionary acoustic footprint.”

“Successfully completing this rigorous test program has allowed us to proceed to ramp production with full confidence, the second of which rolled off the line at our production line in Marina, California, earlier this week.  Learnings from the flight test program have been invaluable to our certification program and to the broader development of regulatory frameworks around electric VTOL aircraft, validating the performance, safety, and acoustics of our design while providing insight into daily operations and maintenance.”

In 2021, Joby demonstrated a flight of 154.6 statute miles on a single charge, including a vertical take-off and landing.

In 2022, Joby partnered with NASA to measure and confirm its aircraft’s revolutionary quiet acoustic footprint, which the Company believes will barely be heard in cruise flight against the ambient environment of cities. Joby also demonstrated speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour and flight at altitudes exceeding 10,000 feet above mean sea level.

In 2023, Joby expanded its flight test program to include flights with pilots on board the aircraft, as well as completing the first-ever exhibition flight of an electric air taxi in New York City. Joby also trained four U.S. Air Force pilots to become the first Air Force personnel to fly an eVTOL aircraft through a full flight profile, including the transition from vertical to wingborne flight, as sole pilot-in-command.

And in 2024, in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), Joby completed 31 pilot-on-board flights in two days, demonstrating the aircraft’s operational characteristics and precision landing capabilities.

James Denham, Joby Chief Test Pilot, commented: “Over the past four years, we thoroughly tested and studied our aircraft in flight, from precision landing and outwash to human factors. We often flew multiple flights per day, demonstrating our ability to fly in a wide variety of weather and operational conditions. As a result, we have the most experienced and professional eVTOL flight test team in the world, and I’m proud to be a part of this program.”

Joby’s second pre-production prototype aircraft will be used for research-and-development on future aviation technologies.

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.

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Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced it has acquired an existing facility at Dayton International Airport and begun hiring in support of the Company’s initial manufacturing operations in Dayton, Ohio.

The facility acquired by Joby will be fitted out to support initial manufacturing operations in Dayton, which are expected to begin later this year. The facility will be used for the manufacturing of aircraft parts in support of Joby’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, California.

Joby’s acquisition of the on-airport facility is the first step in the Company’s plan to develop facilities capable of building up to 500 aircraft per year in Dayton, which is expected to include the design and construction of a larger greenfield factory.

“We’re pleased to be able to acquire an underutilized facility at Dayton International Airport and repurpose it as a modern, high-tech manufacturing center to serve as our initial manufacturing footprint in the region. Later this year, we expect to begin subtractive manufacturing of titanium and aluminum aircraft parts as we continue to grow our workforce in Dayton,” said Didier Papadopoulos, President of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

“I am deeply appreciative to the Dayton community, and Ohio more broadly, for the warm welcome we have received as well as the high level of interest in joining our team. We look forward to continued collaboration and to growing our presence in the Miami Valley region as we build the future of flight in the birthplace of aviation.”

Joby announced in September 2023 that it had selected Dayton, Ohio, as the location for its scaled manufacturing facility, capable of producing up to 500 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft per year, with plans to invest up to $500 million and create up to 2,000 high-quality, clean manufacturing jobs in the region.

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.

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Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced it has become the first developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to complete the third of five stages of the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) type certification process.

During the third stage of the process, Joby submitted certification plans that cover all of the aircraft’s structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, as well as the Company’s intended certification approach to cybersecurity, human factors, and noise.

These certification plans, which detail the tests and analyses that Joby will use to certify every aspect of its aircraft for commercial use, have now all been reviewed and accepted by the FAA, laying the groundwork for Joby to submit test plans and begin for-credit testing across every area of the Company’s aircraft program.

JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, commented: “Joby continues to lead the industry towards bringing electric air taxis to the commercial market. Our certification and engineering teams are best-in-class and, working closely with the FAA, continue to support U.S. leadership in this new area of aviation.”

Joby is now fully focused on the fourth stage of the certification process, where the Company will complete tests and analysis for FAA credit covering every component and system on the Joby aircraft – as well as the entire aircraft itself.

“With all of our certification plans  accepted by the FAA, we are now completely focused on the execution phase of the certification process. We have a clear path to certifying every aspect of our aircraft, and the team is full steam ahead on executing against that path as we continue to lead the industry to commercialization,” said Didier Papadopoulos, President of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Joby completed 30 for-credit tests covering a number of flight electronics units as well as structural materials. The testing methods and processes validated through these tests lay the foundation for the Company’s continued expansion of FAA for-credit testing.

Joby also recently received its Part 145 Repair Station Certificate from the FAA, allowing the Company to perform select maintenance activities on aircraft and marking another key step on the path to commercializing Joby’s electric air taxi service.

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.

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Overair, an emerging developer of all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft,  has entered a strategic collaboration with leading private jet management company, fixed-base operator, and infrastructure developer Clay Lacy Aviation to establish emission-free, ultra-quiet electric aviation operations throughout the Southern California region.

The companies will work together to develop a concept of operations for Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL aircraft, which begins testing in early 2024 following the completion of Overair’s first full-scale prototype last year, as well as other advanced aircraft. Overair and Clay Lacy plan to develop electric charging facilities at Clay Lacy’s FBO locations at John Wayne Airport in Orange County and Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles. Finally, the partnership will explore the establishment of new vertiport facilities and services across Southern California. 

Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL aircraft. Overair image

“Advanced air mobility (AAM) is an ideal addition to Southern California’s transportation network, creating a new option for fast, safe, and quiet transportation in the region,” said Valerie Manning, chief commercial officer at Overair. “We have been working with our partners at Clay Lacy for over a year and are delighted to announce our shared plan. We are confident that this strategic collaboration will leverage our respective strengths to create an AAM network that will positively impact local residents and visitors alike.”

Per the agreement, Clay Lacy will focus on development of charging infrastructure and aircraft operation logistics. Overair will bring expertise in aircraft integration, maintenance, certification, user and vertiport software integration, flight path planning and public-awareness building to the collaboration.

“Ultra-quiet all-electric aircraft bring the promise of convenient and efficient transportation, easing traffic congestion and reducing travel times,” said Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy.  “This collaboration with the Overair team brings us one step closer to better serving the residents and communities in Southern California.”

This partnership is the latest of several AAM infrastructure initiatives announced by Overair recently, including partnerships with India’s JetSetGo, the City of Arlington and DFW International Airport in North Texas, and several agreements with South Korean partners.

“As we continue to make strides developing Butterfly, we’re also focused on partnering with infrastructure leaders to ensure that operations using this new mode of transit can be scaled quickly and efficiently,” said John Criezis, head of mobility operations at Overair.

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Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service has signed a definitive agreement with Helo Holdings to install the first air taxi charger in the greater New York City region at the company’s heliport in Kearny, N.J., located just a two-minute flight from Manhattan.

The agreement, which provides Joby with an operational base for its electric air taxi in the NYC region, builds on the partnership already established between Joby and HHI in November 2023, when Kearny served as a temporary home base for Joby’s aircraft. 

Joby completed several flights at Kearny in preparation for the Company’s exhibition flight in New York City at an event hosted by the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Mayor Eric Adams. The city has committed to electrify the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to enable electric air taxi operations.

Joby’s eVTOL prototype flies over Manhattan in 2023. Joby photo

First opened in 2011, the Kearny heliport is the largest vertical-lift facility on the East Coast with 27 parking spots for helicopters and plans to expand to 32. The heliport provides ground services as well as hangar space for maintenance operations to helicopter operators in the New York region, one of the busiest low-altitude corridors in the world.

As part of the agreement, HHI will upgrade its electrical infrastructure to support the installation of Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (GEACS), designed to support the safe and efficient operation of all-electric aircraft under development today, including Joby’s quiet, emissions-free air taxi.

“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with HHI as we prepare to install our GEACS charging system at Kearny Heliport,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “Kearny is expected to become the first heliport with an air taxi charger in the tri-state area and enable the launch of our quiet, emissions-free air taxi service in the greater New York City region.”

The GEACS charging interface is already used at Joby’s flight test center in Marina, Calif., and at Edwards Air Force Base. Joby recently announced a definitive agreement with Clay Lacy Aviation to install a charging system at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, Calif.

“We continue to expand our footprint in Kearny in support of one of the busiest low-altitude corridors in the world, and we’re thrilled to partner with Joby, one of the leading developers of electric air taxis, to bring the next wave of quiet aircraft to residents of the tri-state area,” said Jeff Hyman, founder and CEO of HHI.

In 2022, Joby announced a multi-year, multi-city commercial and operational partnership with Delta Air Lines to deliver seamless airport trips for its customers across several locations, including Los Angeles and New York City.

Joby’s air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and no in-flight emissions.

Joby also is is collaborating with Atlantic Aviation, a leading provider of aviation services and infrastructure, to electrify existing aviation infrastructure in New York and Southern California. 

The two companies will undertake a comprehensive analysis of how Joby’s air taxi can operate at these locations alongside traditional aircraft and other electric aircraft, offering customers a new way to move from point to point in congested cities that is quieter and more sustainable.

Atlantic has an extensive operational footprint in major cities across the United States, including numerous sites in the New York City and Los Angeles metropolitan areas.

“Our collaboration with Joby is a key step in Atlantic’s push to bring existing aviation infrastructure into the future and solidify Atlantic’s leading role in supporting the growth of electric aviation,” said John Redcay, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Atlantic. “We will be a technology-agnostic supporter of advanced air mobility and our work with Joby is a key part of that journey.”

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