Aviation Week reports, “While it pursues certification of its battery-powered air taxi and prepares to launch commercial service, Joby Aviation already is flying its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells. … In flight testing conducted in June, the remotely piloted aircraft completed a 523-mi. flight over Marina, California, including a vertical takeoff and landing and landing with 10% of its liquid hydrogen (LH2) fuel load remaining. This compares with the 155 mi. flown by the battery-electric S4 in 2021.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: eVTOL aircraft
Joby May Perform Air Tours and Market Survey Flights before Starting Commercial Operations
Aviation Week Network reports, “Joby Aviation may fly passengers on air tours and market survey flights before starting commercial air taxi operations, the company says. The flights, done under FAA 91 general operations regulations, could be a sort of soft launch for the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) developer and operator…”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
FAA Approves Joby Aviation’s Use of In-House Software for Air-Taxi Operations
Reuters reports, “Joby Aviation said on Thursday the FAA has authorized the use of the air-taxi maker’s in-house software to perform tasks such as managing pilot workload and matching passengers with aircraft similar to ride-hailing apps. The nod for the operating system, known as ElevateOS, comes as Joby gears up to launch its commercial air-taxi operations as early as 2025.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Joby Aviation Attains Autonomous Flight Developer Xwing
Flying Magazaine reports, “Joby on Tuesday announced it acquired the autonomy division of Xwing, the developer of autonomous gate-to-gate flight software Superpilot, as it looks ahead to a transition to self-flying air taxi services. The manufacturer plans to initially operate the aircraft with onboard pilots and has a partnership with Delta Air Lines to launch commercial service as early as next year.”
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 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)
Manufacturing Strategies Highlight Key Difference Between Joby and Archer
Aviation Week reports, “In many ways, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation are highly similar startups. The two front-runners in the nascent U.S. air taxi market are both developing piloted, four-passenger electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles with the goal of launching commercial service next year.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Joby Aviation Achieves Key Air Taxi Certification Milestone
Flying Magazine reports “It’s full steam ahead for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation.” The company recently reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 earnings and revealed “that it recorded revenue for the first time” while “announcing plans to ramp up testing, certification, and manufacturing activities.” Joby is “the first eVTOL manufacturer to complete the third of five stages in FAA type certification, and the firm is now turning to stage four: for-credit flight testing with the regulator.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Joby Completes Third FAA Type Certification in Five-Stage Process
FlightGlobal reports “US advanced air mobility company Joby says it’s completed the third of the Federal Aviation Administration’s five-stage type certification process as it reports a 2023 full-year loss of $513 million.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)