24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com certification process, as Joby officials say the FAA requires the aircraft to demonstrate it can operate in shared airspace. Didier Papadopoulos, president of Aircraft OEM (original equipment manufacturer) at Joby, said in a statement that the successful flight was further validation of the company’s work. “As part of the natural progression of our flight test program, it was time to venture further,” he said, “and there was no better place to visit first than our neighbors in Monterey.” The FAA controls the rigorous certification process, and like any government agency, the process takes plenty of time and patience. The FAA requires various certifications, such as the “type” (ensuring the aircraft’s components are in compliance with FAA standards) and production (determining the manufacturing process is up to snuff). Joby has broken it down into five phases, three of which are already completed, according to Allison. It’s now in the midst of the fourth phase, which is about submitting detailed test plans for every single component of the aircraft across numerous scenarios. For instance, Allison says the process includes intentionally manufacturing defects into parts and testing them to show they can still operate safely. Joby estimates it’s more than halfway through this phase as of Aug. 4, according to its letter to shareholders. The fifth stage involves final signoffs from the FAA, which is less than 10-percent complete. While passenger service in the U.S. is still a ways out, it appears certain that Dubai will be the first city in the world where the public can hitch a ride on a Joby aircraft. In early 2024, Joby signed an agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to provide air taxi services in the United Arab Emirates, and expects piloted flights with passengers onboard in early 2026. “That’s pretty exciting, and it’s going to progress from there,” Allison says. Stateside, Joby officials believe they are closer than ever to launching in the U.S. In August, it announced a $125 million acquisition of Blade Air Mobility, which operates helicopter service in the U.S. and Europe. Those helicopters will eventually be phased out for Joby’s electric aircraft. The acquisition of Blade shows just how expensive it is to start a new industry, and that’s just one example. According to Joby’s most recent financial report, released Aug. 6, the company spent $136 million on research and development during the second quarter of 2025. Joby is still a “pre-revenue” company, and as such, it reported nearly a $325 million operating net loss during that quarter, more than double the loss reported for the same quarter in 2024. Joby attributes that to various factors, including the growth of the company (Joby has a staff of more than 2,000, up from 640 five years ago, according to its 2024 impact report) along with increased purchases of materials as it gears up its testing and manufacturing capabilities. However, Joby reports its cash flow is strong thanks to investments, ending the quarter with $991 million in the bank. Joby received half of Toyota’s $500 million investment during the quarter, with the other half expected to come later, bringing the Japanese company’s total investment to $894 million. Joby’s stock soared to its highest level in history in late July to a little more than $18 a share, on the heels of the news that it opened its expanded Marina facility. San Jose-based Archer Aviation, which is also developing eVTOL aircraft and testing them at the Salinas Municipal Airport, also saw its stock bump up during this time. Analysts say that, because the industry is in such an early state, good news for one company has a ripple effect for others in this space, as it gets the industry one step closer to commercial service. In an article for the investing news site The Motley Fool, stock market analyst Brett Schafer wrote that Joby has “a lot of promise” as it makes progress on its manufacturing and FAA certification goals, along with its partnerships with big-name companies. Still, “the growth is all theoretical today,” he wrote—and questions about infrastructure, such as where vertiports will be constructed, remain. “It is unlikely that Joby Aviation will generate a profit by 2030 even if it can scale up its air taxi routes and charge an average of $500 per flight, which is more than the average roundtrip airline ticket for comparable routes,” Schafer wrote. Who are those potential customers who will be willing— and able—to pay for such a ticket? In an early 2025 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Joby said its aircraft is designed to transport a pilot and up to four passengers, traveling at speeds of up to 200 mph with a battery that could last up to 100 miles on a single charge. The aircraft have also been tested at flying at altitudes that exceed 10,000 feet above sea level. While it doesn’t have specifics when it comes to pricing for a flight, Joby hints that it will be pricey, at least in the beginning. “It is our goal to steadily drive down end-user pricing in the years following commercial launch to make the service widely accessible,” the company wrote in the filing. So, when will you be able to call a Joby from an app on your phone and go for a flight? It’s probably the numA giant oven-like piece of equipment known as an autoclave is where pieces of laminated parts are “cooked” to harden at the Marina manufacturing plant. Taking Flight 2009: Joby is founded. 2015: Joby begins testing smaller prototypes of its aircraft in Bonny Doon. 2017: Joby’s full-scale demonstrator takes flight. August 2018: Marina City Council approves a lease with Joby to set up a research and development facility at the Marina Municipal Airport. 2019: A pre-production prototype begins testing. 2020: Joby constructs its manufacturing facility at the Marina Municipal Airport. July 2021: A prototype Joby aircraft flies 150 miles in an 11-lap circuit in Big Sur. August 2021: Joby goes public, on the New York Stock Exchange. April 2023: Joby receives a $55 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to deliver nine eVTOL aircrafts. The first is delivered in the fall. June 2023: Joby receives a Special Airworthiness Certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing it to begin flight testing for its first production prototype. October 2023: Joby begins piloted flight testing. November 12, 2023: For the first time in an urban setting, a piloted Joby aircraft flies in New York City for an exhibition flight. July 2024: Joby makes its European debut, demonstrating an eVTOL. November 2024: Construction begins on Joby’s first vertiport in Dubai. Also, Joby’s first international exhibition flight takes place in Japan. December 2024: Pilots from the Federal Aviation Administration test Joby’s simulator over a course of three days. Earlier in the month, FAA representatives witnessed Joby complete a “static load testing” of the aircraft’s tail structure by placing force on the structure that far exceeds what it will experience during flight. Joby also participates in South Korea’s K-UAM Grand Challenge, completing flights to show the possibility of air taxi service in the country. April 22, 2025: Joby completes a “full transition” flight for the first time with a pilot onboard, meaning the aircraft transitioned from its vertical take-off mode to horizontal flight. May 9, 2025: Joby flies two aircraft simultaneously over the Marina Municipal Airport. June 2025: Joby completes a series of piloted, vertical take-off and landing flights in Dubai. August 13, 2025: A piloted Joby aircraft flies from Marina Municipal Airport to Monterey Regional Airport for the first time.
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