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)
Tag: eVTOL
Joby and Skyports Partner on Dubai eVTOL Operations
FlightGlobal reports that “Joby Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure have joined forces to launch air taxi passenger services in Dubai as early as 2025 through exclusive deals with the emirate’s transport authority.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
Beta’s Alia Completes First Deployment at Eglin AFB
Aviation Week reports that Beta Technologies “has concluded the first deployment of its Alia electric aircraft to a US military base, completing three months of flight testing with the US Air Force at Duke Field on Eglin AFB, Florida.”
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)
Amazon Selected as 1 of 6 Participants in U.K. Drone Trials
Flying Magazine reports, “The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is launching a series of trials to integrate drones into the country’s everyday life. The CAA on Thursday announced it selected six projects that will test the self-flying aircraft’s use for delivery to consumers, infrastructure inspection, emergency services, and more. Prime Air, the drone delivery arm of Amazon flying in Texas, was one of the selections.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Future Flight Global May Purchase Up to 116 Air Taxis from Archer Aviation
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation this week secured another purchase order agreement for its flagship Midnight air taxi. The company on Tuesday said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Future Flight Global (FFG), a startup that plans to operate eVTOL and other advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, for the planned sale of as many as 116 air taxis.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Airbus Pauses CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL Program
Aerotime reports, “Airbus announced on January 27, 2025, that it is pausing the development of its CityAirbus NextGen electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft … Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, highlighted the uncertainty over the capabilities of the current generation of batteries as the key reason for the suspension of this program.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Archer Introduces ‘Automotive Style’ Battery Pack to Air Taxi Production Line
Flying reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation is ready to produce thousands of lithium-ion battery packs for its flagship Midnight air taxi. The manufacturer on Wednesday announced it completed the installation of an “automotive style” battery pack manufacturing line within its integrated test lab and manufacturing facilities in San Jose, California.
Full Story (Flying)
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)
Flying Magazine Takes a First Look at Joby’s eVOTL Future
Flying Magazine reports, “Today, Joby is a roughly $4 billion-cap enterprise on the cusp of its type certification for-credit testing with the FAA on an evolution of the very vehicle [JoeBen] Bevirt envisioned would lift him from that dusty bus stop into the peaceful meadow near his parents’ forest home.”
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)
Archer Performs Battery Pack Drop Test for Midnight Air Taxi
Flying Magazine reports, “Air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation has reached what it says is a crucial milestone in its test campaign—one that could prove valuable as it pursues type certification for its flagship Midnight aircraft. The company on Friday said it successfully completed a series of drop tests on Midnight’s battery packs, an evaluation it will need to complete again during for-credit testing with the FAA.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
FAA Unveils Air Taxi Airworthiness Guidance to Help Streamline Certification Process
Flight Global reports “The Federal Aviation Administration has released proposed guidance intended to help developers of electric air taxis better navigate the type-certification process and better understand how their aircraft will be evaluated by the regulator.”
Full Story (Flight Global)
Archer Aviation Receives FAA Approval to Start Commercial Services
Reuters reports, “Archer Aviation said on Wednesday the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the company a certificate to begin commercial operations, making it the second electric air taxi maker to achieve the key milestone.”
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 CEO Announces 84% Completion of Stage 3 FAA Certification Work for EVTOL Aircraft
Aviation Today reports that Joby Aviation CEO JoeBen Bevirt says the company’s eVTOL aircraft is 84% on its way to completing FAA Stage 3 certification requirements. The company “checked off several milestones in the past three months that bring it ever closer to launching commercial passenger flights in 2025.” Joby is “ramping up production at its pilot manufacturing facility in Merina, Calif., with one aircraft in final assembly and two more in production.” It also has “chosen Dayton, Ohio, as the site for the first scaled manufacturing facility, after receiving promises for $325 million in state and local incentives and benefits, Bevirt said.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)
Joby Aviation Founder Says Electric Air Taxis Will be in Service by 2025
The AP reports that in an interview, Joby Aviation founder JoeBen Bevirt said that its electric air taxis will be in service within two years. Bevirt “insists that his Santa Cruz, California-based company…can meet an ambitious target of entering commercial air taxi service in 2025.” However, “Like other eVTOL startups, Joby is losing money – more than $400 million in 2021-2022. Analysts don’t know when, if ever, it will be profitable.” Bevirt said, “Our goal is absolutely still to achieve commercial service in 2025, and given the progress we’re making on certification and the progress we’re making on the manufacturing front, we’re excited to just be day after day knocking down the milestones.”
Full Story (Associated Press)