Joby seeks certification for electric air taxis in Australia

Joby Aviation, a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, has formally applied for its aircraft to be certified for use in Australia.

Joby's application to the Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for the validation of an FAA type certification builds on a bilateral agreement between the U.S. regulator and CASA, laying the groundwork for the introduction of quiet, emissions-free air taxis in Australia.

Joby's electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.

To date, Joby has completed more than 33,000 miles of all-electric flight with full-scale prototype aircraft and in November 2023, Joby became the first electric air taxi company to fly in a major U.S. city, taking off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York and demonstrating its aircraft's quiet acoustics for an audience including Mayor Eric Adams, who announced the city's intention to electrify the heliport.

Type certification is a multi-year process that requires a company to undertake rigorous testing and documentation across each aircraft system to prove the aircraft meets safety standards and is ready for commercial operations. Joby was the first electric air taxi developer to have its FAA certification basis published in the U.S. Federal Register and was also the first company to complete the first, second and third of five stages of the FAA type certification process required for commercial service.

Joby has also applied to have its FAA type certificate, once received, validated by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) and the United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).