Joby Aviation is still waiting for the FAA ’s green light before it can begin transporting passengers. On Monday, a Joby Aviation electric aircraft took off from JFK Airport for a flight that demonstrated the company’s future air taxi route to Manhattan. The aircraft, with an egg-shaped cabin and six tilting propellers, headed west along the Brooklyn waterfront before turning north toward the city.
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About 14 minutes after takeoff, it landed at the helipad on West 30th Street, completing its historic journey. The demonstration also serves as a reminder of the long way to go before these electric air taxis can begin carrying passengers as part of a commercial on-demand transportation service. Joby’s aircraft can carry five people, including a pilot, but for today’s demonstration, there was only a pilot.
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Like every air taxi operator operating today, Joby is still waiting to receive formal certification from the FAA for passenger service. After years of navigating the regulatory process, the company is hesitant to predict when it might finally reach the finish line.
“The road to type certification is a long one,” said Bonny Simi, Joby’s president of operations, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration’s final approval of a new aircraft type. “We’re well on this journey, very well on this journey, and the FAA has been absolutely fantastic.”
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However, when asked when Joby would receive its final certification, Simi did not provide a specific timeline. He cited the recently launched eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), a White House-backed initiative aimed at accelerating the safe development of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in the U.S., as one of the current unknowns surrounding the safe launch of Joby’s air taxi business.
