Joby Aviation announced on Thursday that it has essentially finished the second of five stages required by the FAA to type certify its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. According to Joby, it is the first eVTOL company to complete this step, which lays out the means of compliance with the certification basis established in the prior stage. The FAA has currently accepted 94 percent of Joby’s means of compliance with the company noting that “it is typical for a small portion … to remain open to allow for further collaboration on minor design changes and improvements that may occur later in the certification process.”
“Certification is an integral part of everything that an aerospace company does and with the achievement of this critical milestone, we’re now able to confidently focus our efforts on closing the remaining certification plans and completing the testing required to certify our aircraft,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Joby head of aircraft OEM. “We’re grateful for the FAA’s dedication to the safe introduction of eVTOL technology and their commitment to supporting continued US leadership in this sector.”
Joby says it has also submitted four area-specific certification plans (ASCPs) and its first equipment-level qualification test plan as part of the third stage of the certification process. The company’s eVTOL design is expected to seat a pilot and four passengers, offer a top speed of 200 MPH and have a maximum single-charge range of 150 miles. Joby, which received its Part 135 air carrier certificate in May 2022, is aiming to launch commercial passenger service by 2025.
