Joby Flies First Electric Air Taxi Meeting FAA Design Criteria

Company until now had conducted testing using developmental and preproduction prototype aircraft.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 02:45 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Joby’s first FAA-conforming air taxi lifts off at the company’s test facility in Marina, California. [Credit: Joby Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Joby Aviation has commenced flying its first "FAA-conforming" eVTOL aircraft, a crucial milestone in its journey towards regulatory certification for commercial operations.
The company aims to have FAA test pilots in the cockpit later this year for "type inspection authorization," a necessary step before it can carry passengers.
Joby is scaling up manufacturing with plans for a large facility in Ohio and has ambitious deployment strategies across multiple U.S. states and internationally in Dubai.
Despite progress, Joby faces challenges including rival Archer Aviation's accusations regarding Chinese supplier ties and potential geopolitical risks impacting its planned Dubai service.

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California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Joby Aviation is advancing from testing with developmental models to aircraft that meet FAA design criteria—a critical step as it aims to get agency test pilots in the cockpit later this year.

Joby on Wednesday revealed that the company’s pilots are now flying its first “FAA-conforming” aircraft, N547JX. “Conforming” means that the model aligns with Joby’s agency-approved airworthiness criteria and test plans. In other words, it is representative of the aircraft the company intends to certify and operate.