Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation is developing eVTOL aircraft designed for urban air mobility, offering speeds up to 200 mph and a range of 150 miles per charge. These aircraft are engineered to be 100x quieter and 5x more energy-efficient than traditional helicopters. Joby plans to launch operations with the Department of Defense in 2024, followed by commercial passenger services in 2025. To support its growth, the company is establishing manufacturing facilities, including a site in Marina, California, and another in Dayton, Ohio, acquired in March 2024 for parts production.

Joby has reached major operational milestones, including FAA authorization for electric air taxi flight tests in June 2023 and its first hydrogen-electric test flight in July 2024. At the Farnborough Airshow the same month, Joby unveiled its four-passenger air taxi, marking its debut in Europe. Internationally, Joby applied for certification in the UAE in September 2024 and conducted a demonstration in Japan in November 2024, emphasizing the low-noise performance critical for urban air mobility.

Key customers and partnerships

In 2012, Joby Aviation partnered with NASA on electric flight projects such as the X-57 and LEAPTech, advancing eVTOL research. In April 2023, Joby collaborated with Toyota, its largest external investor, on factory design and manufacturing processes to enhance production efficiency. In November 2024, the company partnered with Microsoft to integrate its eVTOL aircraft into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

In January 2024, Joby collaborated with Clay Lacy Aviation to establish electric air taxi charging stations at John Wayne Airport (SNA) and with Atlantic Aviation to establish charging networks in New York and Southern California. These initiatives focus on advancing eVTOL infrastructure for urban mobility development. 

In April 2024, Joby signed an MoU with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport to establish air taxi services in the region, highlighting the company’s efforts to expand international operations. Later that year, in December 2024, Joby partnered with Jetex to integrate electric air taxi services across private terminals in the Middle East.