Aviation Week reports, “Millions of dollars have flown into the nascent electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) sector over the past several years, as investors bet that quiet, emissions-free air taxis will unlock a new wave of demand for urban air mobility (UAM). While those services are not expected to reach scale until the next decade, air taxi startups are looking toward the airport shuttle mission as an initial launch application in the coming years, promising to shave long trips on congested urban road networks down to 10-20 mins. or less.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: Air Taxi Services
Joby Concludes Flight Testing with Pre-Production eVTOL
FlightGlobal reports, “US air taxi start-up Joby Aviation has concluded the pre-production flight test programme that it launched four years ago, now transitioning into a production-focused phase of development.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
Archer, Joby to Provide Air Taxi Service in Abu Dhabi
Flying Magazine reports, “Two titans in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi industry are building on their previously announced plans to serve the United Arab Emirates. At the inaugural DriftX conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, both headquartered in California, signed agreements with Abu Dhabi government agencies to introduce their respective air taxis in the Emirate.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Joby Aviation Eyes Saudi Arabia for Electric Air Taxi Network
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation is setting its sights on Saudi Arabia. The manufacturer on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mukamalah Aviation—a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas company Saudi Aramco that according to Joby operates the world’s largest fleet of corporate aircraft—to introduce its eVTOL air taxi in the country.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Joby Aviation to Begin Manufacturing Air Taxis in Ohio
The AP reports that the same Ohio river valley “where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon be manufacturing cutting-edge electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement announced Monday between the state and Joby Aviation Inc.” Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said, “When you’re talking about air taxis, that’s the future. We find this very, very exciting – not only for the direct jobs and indirect jobs it’s going to create, but like Intel, it’s a signal to people that Ohio is looking to the future. This is a big deal for us.” Joby’s decision to “locate its first scaled manufacturing facility at a 140-acre (57-hectare) site at Dayton International Airport delivers on two decades of groundwork laid by the state’s leaders, Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said.” Joby’s production aircraft “is designed to transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles (321.87 kilometers) per hour, with a maximum range of 100 miles (160.93 kilometers).”
;Full Story (Associated Press)
First Joby EVTOL Prototype Rolls Off Assembly Line
Aviation Week reports that Joby Aviation “has rolled out the first prototype of its S4 electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft to be built on its pilot production line in Marina, California.” The aircraft has “received FAA special airworthiness certification for flight testing.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)
EVOTL OEM Ranking Hold Steady in Reality Index
Aviation Week reports that the ranking of electric air taxi startups “was unchanged in the latest edition of the AAM Reality Index, with Joby Aviation and Volocopter leading the pack followed by a three-way tie between Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies and EHang.” Joby’s front-runner position, with a score of 8.7 out of 10, largely “stems from its hefty cash cushion relative to its main competitors, according to Sergio Cecutta, founder and CEO of SMG Consulting, which publishes the bimonthly AAM Reality Index in conjunction with Aviation Week.” As a comparison, the company “finished the March quarter with nearly $1 billion in cash versus roughly $450 million for rival Archer.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)
Joby Aviation Receives Part 135 FAA Certificate Early
Aviation Today reports that Joby Aviation “announced that it has received its Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA.” The award of the Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate permits Joby “to begin commercial operations of its electric air taxi.” Joby “originally expected to receive the certificate for its vehicle – an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft – in the second half of this year” and commence operations in 2024.
Aviation Today (Aviation Today)
Joby Aviation Certified by FAA to Begin Air Taxi Services
Reuters reports that Joby Aviation “said on Thursday it had received a certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that would allow it to begin its air-taxi operations commercially with a conventional airplane.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Archer Partners with Two Saudi Companies to Develop and Test Air Taxi Services
Reuters reports, “Archer Aviation said on Wednesday it has signed a deal with The Helicopter Company and luxury developer Red Sea Global, both owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, to develop, test and potentially deploy electric aircraft in the Kingdom. Western air taxi makers have been stepping up efforts to expand beyond their home markets, with the Middle East emerging as a key target thanks to its fast-growing tourism sector, supportive regulators and willingness to invest early in next-generation transport technologies.”
Full Story (Reuters)