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)
Tag: commercial operations
ANA, Joby to Establish eVTOL Air Taxi Services
Aviation International News reports that All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Joby Aviation have announced an agreement Monday to “establish ridesharing flights in the U.S. company’s four-passenger eVTOL aircraft.” Toyota is “also joining the partnership and will provide expertise for plans to integrate the air taxi services with ground transportation.”
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Joby, SK Telecom to Offer Air Taxi Services in South Korea
Aviation Week reports that South Korea’s “ambition to launch urban air mobility (UAM) services in 2025 has been boosted by the signing of a strategic collaboration agreement between air taxi developer Joby Aviation and Korean telecommunications giant SK Telecom (SKT).”
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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.”
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NASA Test Flights of Joby eVTOL Prove Low Noise Levels
Aviation International News reports that results “from recent NASA-backed flight tests with Joby’s eVTOL prototype demonstrate that noise from the four-passenger air taxi vehicle would be barely audible from city streets below.” While in flight, the Joby eVTOL “registered the equivalent of 45.2 dBA while cruising at an altitude of 1,640 feet at a speed of 115 mph.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Vertiport Construction Begins In US Midwest
Aviation International News reports that construction “is beginning on two vertiports designed to accommodate eVTOLs in the U.S. Midwest. Davenport, Iowa-based Difco has begun building a vertiport in Rock Island, Illinois, while Volatus Infrastructure plans to erect an eVTOL terminal and charging station at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Joby Aviation eVTOL Awarded FAA, USAF Certification
Aviation Today reports that “FAA Special Airworthiness Certification and U.S. Air Force Airworthiness Approval were both awarded to Joby Aviation for the company’s second pre-production prototype aircraft.” Due to the certification, Joby “will be able to ramp up flight testing in 2022 and continue working towards a commercial operations launch date in 2024.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)