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US Air Taxi startup Joby Aviation is one step closer to launching its first commercial service at the end of the year after completing a series of pilot test flights in Dubai.
The company said flights landing vertically again after the aircraft successfully transitions from vertical takeoff to horizontal cruises will mark a significant milestone towards commercial deployment on the new industrial roads.
Joby completed its first “migration” flight in California in April, but this is the first time the startup has run tests as part of a test flight campaign before the commercial launch.
According to Paul Sciarra, Executive Chair at Joby, successful testing throughout the summer was a key moment for the industry.
“People are excited about (Air Taxis), but the real question is, ‘when’ and ‘how’, how’ these products start to get into people’s hands and provide valuable services,” he told the Financial Times.
The test means commercial services are now on the horizon, adding, “It will first happen in Dubai and then more widely across the world.”
Construction has begun at the first job commercial landing port at Dubai International Airport ©Joby
Founded in 2009, the California-based company is one of several startups and aerospace incumbents who hope to bring the vision of emission-free “city air mobility” to a reality through the launch of “electric vertical takeoff and landing” (EVTOL) aircraft.
But the early promises of a rapid revolution in air travel have slowed offerings. Some companies are forced to tap investors to raise more funds and push back the certification milestones as the challenges of developing these aircraft become clearer. There are also other hurdles, such as building the necessary infrastructure and gaining public acceptance.
Earlier this year, China’s ehang received necessary approvals from the country’s aviation regulator to launch pilot flights for autonomous air taxis, but these are limited to tourism and tourism.
Listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, Joby is one of the sector’s better capitalized players. It raised more than $2 billion from funding from investors and other supporters, including Toyota, an automaker, which is also a manufacturing partner.
The company’s air taxis are designed to transport pilots and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles. Sciarra said Joby is on track to launch commercial services by the end of this year or early next. Construction has begun at the first Joby Commercial Landing Port at Dubai’s international airport.
In Dubai, Joby saw “the real willingness to put transport modes into the ecosystem as quickly as possible,” Saila said.
The company is undergoing the aircraft certification process along with local regulators in Dubai. It is also working to obtain full approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, the US Air Safety Regulator.
Sciarra said he hopes Joby will secure approval first in Dubai, and that US accreditation will continue.
“We will become our FAA certified from the toes of this commercial service in Dubai.
