Joby’s first eVTOL operations with other aircraft in FAA-controlled airspace
Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing all-electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, announced it has successfully operated with other aircraft in FAA-controlled airspace by completing its first flight between two U.S. airports, Marina (OAR) and Monterey (MRY), California. The achievement is a major step as part of Joby’s commercial market readiness, highlighting key capabilities across safety, operations, air traffic control and certification progress. It’s a critical measure of the maturity of the Company’s path to commercialisation, as the flights also demonstrated the type of real-world service Joby intends to offer to the public.
Joby’s flight time from OAR to MRY was approximately 12 minutes over 10 nautical miles, including 5 minutes in a hold pattern at MRY for air traffic spacing. The piloted flight included vertical take-off, transition to wingborne flight, integration into the controlled airspace around MRY, and vertical landing. The milestone marks the first time a piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi has flown from one public airport to another. The flight also successfully demonstrated the team’s ability to conduct mobile flight tests and deliver full ground support operations away from home base in Marina.
“Successfully flying from Marina to Monterey showcased operations of our aircraft integrated in the broader transportation network and further validated its performance to ensure we’re prepared for service on day one,” said Didier Papadopoulos, President of Aircraft OEM at Joby. “For years, our flight testing has validated our aircraft’s capabilities, and we’ve done this across a wide range of environmental conditions. As part of the natural progression of our flight test programme, it was time to venture further, and there was no better place to visit first than our neighbours in Monterey.”
These critical flight tests also provided developmental data related to the human factors of operating the aircraft at a controlled airport and in the en route national airspace. In particular, Joby’s ability to integrate into controlled airspace was demonstrated when its aircraft successfully sequenced with other aircraft at Monterey Airport, including a holding pattern to accommodate another arriving airliner. Joby’s aircraft systems, pilot certification and training were on full display by adhering to the same air traffic control protocols as a major airline. This is also an important step in the Company’s certification efforts, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires aircraft to demonstrate they can operate in shared airspace by flying between multiple airports.
On the heels of Joby’s planned acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business, the demonstration continues to show the Company’s commercial market readiness. The achievement builds on Joby’s long history of testing and development, including more than 40,000 miles flown across its fleet. Joby recently began final assembly of its first aircraft intended for Type Inspection Authorisation flight testing, one of the last major steps in FAA certification. It plans to begin flight testing with FAA pilots early next year. Following certification, Joby is planning to launch commercial service domestically, starting in Los Angeles and New York City.
