Air Taxi Manufacturers Joby, Lilium Take More Baby Steps Toward Certification

Joby submitted its certification plans, while Lilium completed its final audit toward design organization approval.

Thursday, July 06, 2023 at 01:44 PM ET

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Joby’s five-seat passenger eVTOL is expected to enter service in 2025, but first it needs to earn type certification. [Courtesy: Joby Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Joby Aviation has submitted all its certification plans to the FAA, completing the third of five stages in the U.S. certification process and receiving approval to begin flight testing its first production aircraft.
Lilium has completed its final Design Organization Approval (DOA) audit with EASA, a critical step towards securing the "license to operate" required for aircraft design and certification in Europe.
Both Joby and Lilium are making substantial progress in their respective certification journeys with the FAA and EASA, targeting commercial eVTOL service launches by 2025.

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The certification process for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is long and arduous, with regulatory bodies like the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) prioritizing safety above all. But two leaders in the space continue to make progress.

Santa Cruz, California-based Joby Aviation on Thursday announced it has submitted all of its certification plans—detailing how the company will demonstrate compliance with safety regulations—to the FAA. On the same day, German rival Lilium revealed it completed its fourth and final design organization approval (DOA) audit with EASA. Both are eyeing commercial launches in 2025.