Results for: joby

Last week, Joby Aviation posted its Q1 earnings showing a strong cash reserve of $978M USD, not including an additional $180M USD from Baillie Gifford, a Scottish investment firm, with offices in New York and London.

These additional funds are expected to be used to accelerate Joby’s early production, enabling the business to capitalize on near-term revenue opportunities without impacting the funds available to carry the company through to type certification of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

“The decision by Baillie Gifford to invest further in Joby is a testament to their long-term belief in the electrification of transportation and their track record speaks for itself. We couldn’t be more proud to have their support,” said Joby CEO and founder, JoeBen Bevirt.

In addition to the investment from Baillie Gifford, Joby also announced it has nearly completed its first production prototype which will conform to certification standards. On the certification front, Joby also announced it has submitted three more Area Specific Certification Plans (ASCPs) to the FAA, bringing the total to 11 of 13 ASCPs submitted. Two additional ASCPs were accepted by the FAA this quarter.

Commenting on the results, JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO, Joby, said: “Already in 2023 we’ve achieved significant milestones in production, testing and funding and I’m incredibly excited about our progress as we move towards our goal of launching commercial service in 2025. 

A copy of this quarter’s letter to investors can be found here.

Why it matters: With an additional $180M in net proceeds in addition to a strong cash reserve, Joby will likely have enough reserves to execute its flight test program and make it to FAA certification. With the Certification Basis and Means of Compliance phases complete with the FAA, Joby now needs to finalize Certification Plans and execute its flight test campaign before deliveries can begin.

Joby has announced in a press release today it has signed a long-term agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation to supply key powertrain and actuation components for the production of the the company’s eVTOL production model.

The agreement builds on the long-standing partnership between Joby and Toyota, which has seen the two companies collaborate on a wide variety of projects to support the production and assembly of the Joby aircraft, including advising on the design of Joby’s pilot production line in Marina, CA. Toyota is also Joby’s largest external shareholder, having invested around $400 million in Joby.

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, commenting on the agreement, said: “Our partnership with Toyota continues to be an integral part of Joby’s success, from assisting in the design of our pilot production line in Marina, California, to supplying key components for our aircraft.”

“I’m grateful for Toyota’s unwavering dedication to Joby as we work together to deliver a new form of fast, quiet and emissions-free mobility for cities and communities around the world. Their expertise and knowledge has helped put us on track to deliver, at scale, an aircraft that we believe is truly best-in-class.”

The components, designed by Joby and manufactured by Toyota, will be delivered to Joby’s powertrain and electronics manufacturing facility in San Carlos, California, before the finished assemblies are shipped to the company’s pilot production line in Marina for integration. Intended to prove out scalable tooling and processes at low volumes in advance of aircraft production at full scale, Joby’s Marina facilities were designed with Toyota’s help, leveraging decades of experience delivering reliable, high-quality cars at high volume.

Toyota Motor Corporation Connected Company President Keiji Yamamoto added: “We are very pleased to have reached this milestone with our key partner.  Our mutual goal is mass production of eVTOL and helping Joby apply the best practices of the Toyota Production System in meeting high quality, reliability, safety, and strict cost standards.

 “We are excited about the potential for further collaboration as we seek to realize Mobility for All with a seamlessly integrated air-to-ground mobility network.”

Why it matters: Toyota’s manufacturing prowess and technical expertise in powertrain components is a valuable addition to Joby’s technical acumen. Toyota’s $400M USD investment will also help Joby get to certification and commercialization faster than other eVTOL makers, giving it a strong competitive advantage.

Source: Joby Press Release

Related:

• Joby Finalizes Assembly of Company-conforming aircraft (March 2023)
• Joby Completes Second Stage of Certification Process (February 2023)
• Delta and Joby to Partner for Seamless Home-to-Airport Transportation (October 2022)
• Joby Aviation Acquires Uber Elevate, Receives Airworthiness Approval from U.S Military (December 2020)

Joby Aviation, major maker of an all-electric, passenger-carrying eVTOL has announced that it has begun final assembly of its first ‘company-conforming’ aircraft. This means this particular prototype was built in accordance with the manufacturing processes and quality management standards that will be used to mass-produce their eVTOL aircraft.

This latest announcement from Joby marks a significant step forward to the commercialization of Joby’s eVTOL, as well as a key step on the journey to achieve Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification required to begin passenger-carrying operations.

Having built the major aerostructures of the aircraft – the wing, tail, and fuselage – Joby is now beginning the process of fusing the structures together and installing the wiring, electronics, actuation, and propulsion systems on this pilot production aircraft. Joby expects the aircraft to begin flight testing of the aircraft in the first half of 2023.

“Beginning final assembly of our first company-conforming aircraft is a critical achievement for Joby and a landmark for the wider eVTOL industry,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Head of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

Notably, the construction of this aircraft is in accordance with Joby’s signature Quality Management System, which includes tracking and documentation of every part on the aircraft, configuration management of engineering drawings, environmental conditions during fabrication, and actions taken by manufacturing technicians. The Quality System is reviewed regularly by the FAA as part of the company’s preparation to receive a production certificate following the type certification of the aircraft.

Above: A prototype of Joby’s eVTOL in flight

Why it’s important: This aircraft from Joby is the first of its eVTOLs to be made with the same processes that will be used to mass-produce the aircraft. This is a major milestone for the company, as it sets the company up to begin producing their aircraft at scale for commercialization as soon as all necessary certifications are earned. Notably, Joby is one of the first eVTOL developers ever to reach this stage.

Source // Joby Aviation

Joby this week announced it has completed the second of five stages required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify its eVTOL aircraft for commercial passenger use.

In the second stage of the type certification process, a company identifies the ways in which it will demonstrate it has met the regulatory intent of the safety rules (“Means of Compliance”) that were defined during the first stage of the process (“Certification Basis”).

Joby in a press release this week claimed it is the first eVTOL company to reach this milestone, having also been the first eVTOL company to complete stage one and have its Certification Basis published in the Federal Register.

“Certification is an integral part of everything that an aerospace company does and with the achievement of this critical milestone, we’re now able to confidently focus our efforts on closing the remaining certification plans and completing the testing required to certify our aircraft,” said Didier Papadopoulos, Head of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

“We’re grateful for the FAA’s dedication to the safe introduction of eVTOL technology and their commitment to supporting continued US leadership in this sector,” he added.

Joby has also already made substantial progress in the third stage of the certification process (“Certification Plans”), with four area-specific certification plans (ASCPs) submitted to the FAA as of November and the company’s first equipment-level qualification test plan submitted to the FAA, enabling for-credit qualification testing to proceed. Progress also continues in stage four (“Testing and Analysis”) and stage five (“Show and Verify”).

It is typical for a small portion of the Means of Compliance to remain open to allow for further collaboration on minor design changes and improvements that may occur later in the certification process. With 94% of our Means of Compliance now accepted by the FAA, Joby considers the second stage essentially complete.

Why it matters: Achieving this goal moves Joby one step closer to its target of launching commercial passenger service by 2025. With the certification basis and means of compliance under its belt, Joby is well positioned to demonstrate airworthiness of its eVTOL aircraft ahead of others in the aerial mobility space. This advantage allows Joby the unique opportunity to be one of the first to commercialize its eVTOL aircraft upon certification.

As part of its journey to Type certification, Joby’s eVTOL needs to undergo four system reviews, two of which have now been successfully completed.

Joby Aviation, one of the forerunners of the eVTOL movement, has now announced another milestone in its journey to fully certify its electric eVTOL aircraft with the FAA.

As Joby moves forward with Type Certification, it has continually worked closely with the FAA. Part of this process involves several full-system audits of Joby’s aircraft, which take place in-person over several days. Earlier this month, Joby completed the second out of four of these system audits at their test site in Marina, CA. These reviews are conducted to validate the overall architecture of the aircraft and ensure the OEM’s development is on track to meet the FAA’s safety objectives.

Said Didier Papadopoulos, head of Aircraft OEM at Joby, “Progress on certification is a key area of focus for this nascent sector, and we’re pleased to mark our continued leadership with the successful completion of our second system review. We’re confident that our aircraft design is on track to meet the FAA’s expectations regarding system-level safety, redundancy, and overall aircraft architecture.”

Notably, Joby also recently worked with the FAA to determine the full Airworthiness criteria for its eVTOL. The criteria developed for Joby will also likely set standards for other upcoming eVTOLs, as Joby is on track to be the first to be certified in the United States. Read more about this collaboration here.

In late 2020, Joby emerged from stealth mode with hundreds of millions of dollars in investments, including major backing from Toyota. With these release, it simultaneously announced Military airworthiness certification, along with collaborations with NASA and the USAF’s Agility prime to bring the aircraft into commercial and government service. Read more on Joby here.

Why it’s important: With this milestone, Joby continues to mark consistent progress in its certification journey with the FAA. Not only does this prove the ability for eVTOL aircraft to successfully proceed with FAA certification; it also proves that Joby is able to complete its developmental goals. Additionally, this certification effort will likely pave the way for other upcoming eVTOL makers.

Source // Joby Aviation, Revolution Aero

Related:

• FAA Proposes Airworthiness Criteria for Joby eVTOL (November 2022)
• Delta and Joby to Partner for Seamless Home-to-Airport Transportation (October 2022)
• Joby Expands Partnership with US Department of Defense (August 2022)
• Joby Completes 150-mile Flight, Begins Part 135 Certification Process (July 2021)

Earlier this week, the FAA released the airworthiness/certification criteria for Joby’s JAS4-1 eVTOL prototype and candidate for commercialization. This is the first of its kind and provides the public with a detailed certification plan for eVTOL platforms of the future.

The document draws its criteria largely from Part 23 for certification of fixed-wing general aviation aircraft, but also takes content from Part 33 for engines and Part 35 for propellers. The FAA also introduced new criteria specific to eVTOL because “no existing standard captured the powered-lift [aircraft’s] transitional flight modes.”

The certification basis considers various flight modes, configurations, and electric engine performance standards. For this, the FAA developed new criteria for safe flight and landing in the event of a loss of power to ensure the vehicle maintains adequate performance. The FAA is also considering new regulations for bird strike avoidance and protection as eVTOL aircraft are quieter than traditional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

It is expected Joby’s JAS4-1 will be certified to existing safety level criteria for Part 23 (probability of catastrophic failure on the scale of 10^-7 or 10^-8). It’s also known that Joby’s aircraft will not be held to the 10^-9 safety level used on commercial aircraft by the FAA, but may face such a requirement with EASA.

A copy of the basis is available for viewing here.

Why it matters: Earlier this year, the FAA changed its certification basis for eVTOL aircraft. Rather than certifying under Part 23 alongside most general aviation fixed-wing aircraft, eVTOL platforms will be certified in their own special class. Joby has an advantage being the first in this category; as this may allow the company to help shape the criteria for all certified eVTOL platforms. Expect revisions to this document as the public and industry stakeholders provide comments for consideration.

Delta has announced a massive $60m USD upfront equity investment in Joby with a total investment opportunity for $200 million as the airline hopes to be the first to offer eVTOL services for its passengers.

Above: Joby CEO, JoeBen Bevirt and Delta CEO, Ed Bastian

In a press release this week, Delta Airlines announced plans to partner with Joby Aviation for the operation of Joby’s eVTOL aircraft in New York and Los Angeles with seamless integration between Joby and Delta services. According to the release, “The partners will work together to create a differentiated, premium experience for Delta customers featuring seamless booking, simplified transit, and greater time savings. This will run alongside Joby’s standard airport service in priority markets. The partnership will be mutually exclusive across the U.S. and U.K. for five years following commercial launch, with the potential to extend that period.”

“Delta always looks forward and embraces opportunities to lead the future, and we’ve found in Joby a partner that shares our pioneering spirit and commitment to delivering innovative, seamless experiences that are better for our customers, their journeys, and our world,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “This is a groundbreaking opportunity for Delta to deliver a time-saving, uniquely premium home-to-airport solution for customers in key markets we’ve been investing and innovating in for many years.”

“We share Delta’s unwavering commitment to delivering seamless and sustainable journeys to customers,” said Joby Founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. “Their history of innovation, along with their vast operational expertise and leadership on climate change, make them incredible partners for Joby, and it’s an honor to be working alongside them.”

Joby’s eVTOL aircraft is one of the most technologically mature in the aerial mobility space. The company has conducted over 1,000 test flights to date and was the first eVTOL company to be granted a G-1 (Stage 4) Certification Basis as well as its Part 135 Air Carrier Certification by the FAA.

Why it matters: Joby and Delta’s partnership is the latest in a series of airline-eVTOL partnerships announced this year alone. With Delta offering its passengers a seamless, premium service connecting the last leg from the airport to home, starting with New York and Los Angeles, the airline has an immense opportunity to revolutionize commercial air travel.

Source // Joby, Delta

Related:

• Joby Receives Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate From the FAA (May 2022)
• Joby Aviation Begins Certification Testing (February 2022)
• United Airlines Completes $10M Pre-Payment for 100 Archer eVTOL Aircraft (August 2022)
• American Airlines Solidifies Delivery Slots for Vertical Aerospace eVTOL Aircraft (July 2022)

Joby Aviation has announced an expansion of its existing contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program that increases the contract’s potential value by more than $45 million.

Building on more than five years of engagement with defense agencies, the expanded contract leverages Joby’s years of research and technology development and will include new testing to evaluate Joby’s advanced technologies. It brings the potential value of the total contract to more than $75 million.

The contract also widens the company’s defense partnerships to include the U.S. Marine Corps, which will participate in government-directed flight tests and use case exploration, including resupply, relocation of personnel, and emergency medical response applications.

“As we work toward our goal of launching a passenger ridesharing service, we’re grateful for the support of our defense partners. This extension provides valuable support for our ongoing development efforts and allows our partners to see first-hand the potential for this aircraft in their future concept of operations” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.

Joby’s engagement with government partners bolsters the company’s primary goal of launching a commercial passenger service by providing access to testing facilities, early operational experience for government customers, and a partial offset to research and development costs.

On August 3, 2022, Joby attended the White House Summit on Advanced Air Mobility, which convened industry, government agencies, and military personnel to discuss how to advance U.S. leadership in this new technological area.

With the expansion of Joby’s contract, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps all have now identified eVTOL aircraft as a critical area of interest.

Joby’s eVTOL aircraft in flight

In 2020, Joby became the first eVTOL developer to receive military airworthiness approval for its pre-production prototype aircraft. With a maximum range of 150 miles, Joby’s piloted, emissions-free aircraft can transport four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph with an extremely quiet acoustics profile.

Why it matters: This announcement more than doubles Joby’s contract with the DoD. As the armed forces gain interest in studying eVTOL applications and use cases, expect to see more spending on aerial mobility. This effect will no doubt fuel the development curve and have trickling effects into the commercial eVTOL space.

Source: Joby Press Release

Joby Aviation announced late yesterday that it has formally applied for its revolutionary aircraft design to be certified for use in the United Kingdom.

While Joby is currently pursuing the “type certification” for its aircraft with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and expects the U.S. to be its first operating market, this application will allow Joby’s U.S.-based certification to be concurrently validated by the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (“CAA”), accelerating the Company’s path to market in the U.K. Joby is believed to be the first eVTOL company to apply for foreign validation of its FAA type certificate.

With a maximum range of 150 miles and a quiet acoustic profile, Joby’s five-seat, piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft is designed to connect people and cities through fast, quiet, and emissions-free flight.

Joby’s application builds on a joint statement by the FAA and CAA in March, announcing their intent to leverage the existing Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the two regulators to streamline the introduction of eVTOL aircraft using existing regulatory frameworks.

“We’re incredibly excited about the potential for electric aerial ridesharing to offer a new form of clean and affordable urban and regional connectivity across the U.K., where more than 80% of the population lives in, or near, cities.”

Type certification is a multi-year process which sees a company undertake rigorous testing and documentation across each aircraft system in order to prove the aircraft is safe and ready for commercial operations. Similar type certification processes are undertaken for all aircraft, big and small – an approach that has helped shape air travel into one of the safest forms of transportation available today.

In March, Joby announced it had joined ADS Group, the premiere U.K. trade association for aerospace, defense and security companies, and is working with the U.K.’s leading provider of air traffic control services, NATS, to explore integration of Joby services into the U.K. airspace.

The press release from Joby occurred just prior to the start of the Farnborough International Airshow occurring this week (July 18-22) in Farnborough, UK.

Why it’s important: Joby’s announcement to pursue certification in the UK is a strategically timed information share with those in attendance at FIA 2022, and represents one of the first landmark announcements from an aerial mobility company during, or immediately prior, to one of the world’s largest airshows. With the rest of the week still ahead, expect other announcements related to certification, business partnerships, and more to follow.

Read the full press release here.

Joby Aviation, a prime eVTOL air taxi developer in the U.S, has officially received its Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA (Federal Aviation administration). This certification allows Joby to conduct commercial operations, once its aircraft is fully certified.

Joby’s announcement of Part 135 Certification, announced on May 26th of 2022, comes in ahead of schedule, as it was originally predicted for the back half of 2022. The certification is especially significant as it legally authorizes Joby as a company to carry fare-paying passengers. According to Joby, attaining this certification required the company to submit over 850 pages of manuals for approval, and required Joby’s initial set of pilots to demonstrate mastery of the company’s procedures and training under FAA observation.

With this announcement, Joby has become the first passenger-grade eVTOL developer in the U.S to recieve its Part 135 Certification. Companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Wing and UPS have received this certification for drone delivery, but those aircraft can only carry small packages for short distances, making Joby’s announcement a historic event.

Joby will still need a Type Certificate and a Production Certificate for its aircraft to begin operations, but is working closely on these goals with both the FAA and NASA.

Said Bonny Simi, Head of Air Operations and People at Joby: “The procedures we’ve prepared lay a foundation for our future eVTOL operations. Over the coming months, we will use our Part 135 certificate to exercise the operations and customer technology platforms that will underpin our multi-modal ridesharing service, while also refining our procedures to ensure seamless journeys for our customers.”

Above: Aerial view of Joby’s eVTOL aircraft

Joby’s eVTOL has already made significant progress in the U.S by receiving Airworthiness Approval from the United States Air Force, and conducting flight tests in the thousands. Joby’s aircraft can take-off and land vertically, is fully electric, can fly up to 150 miles per flight, and can carry four passengers plus a pilot at speeds up to 200 mph.

Why it’s important: The Part 135 Certification was one of three major certifications that Joby needs in order to begin passenger-carrying air taxi operations. Once Joby receives full certification for its aircraft, which requires a Type Certification and a Production Certification, Joby will be fully authorized to begin commercial air taxi services. Joby is targeting Type Certification for 2023, with Production Certification soon to follow.

Source // Joby Aviation

Related:

• Joby Completes 150-mile Flight, Begins Part 135 Certification Process (July 2021)
• Joby Aviation Begins Certification Testing (February 2022)
• Joby, CAE to Partner for eVTOL Aircraft Simulators (March 2022)
• Joby Releases Results from NASA Acoustics Testing (May 2022)
• Amazon Receives FAA Approval for Drone Deliveries (September 2020)
• FAA Approves UPS as Drone Airline for Commercial Deliveries (October 2019)
• Drone Package Delivery in the US: Google’s Wing is First (May 2019)

Joby Aviation has announced that its full-size pre-production aircraft has successfully demonstrated its revolutionary low noise profile, following acoustic testing completed with NASA.

Following analysis of the data obtained over two weeks of testing as part of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign, Joby’s aircraft was shown to have met the revolutionary low noise targets the Company set for itself.

The aircraft registered the equivalent of 45.2 A-weighted decibels (dBA) from an altitude of 1640 feet (500 meters) at 100 knots airspeed, a sound level which Joby believes will barely be perceptible against the ambient environment of cities.

NASA engineers also measured the aircraft’s acoustic profile during planned take-off and landing profiles to be below 65 dBA, a noise level comparable to normal conversation, at a distance of 330 feet (100 meters) from the flight path.

“We’re thrilled to show the world just how quiet our aircraft is by working with NASA to take these measurements,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.

“With an aircraft this quiet, we have the opportunity to completely rethink how we live and travel today, helping to make flight an everyday reality in and around cities. It’s a game-changer.”

All measurements were conducted using NASA’s Mobile Acoustics Facility, with more than 50 pressure ground-plate microphones placed in a grid array at Joby’s Electric Flight Base near Big Sur, CA.

To measure the Joby aircraft’s acoustic footprint during overhead flight, it flew over the grid array six times at an airspeed of 100 knots and a low altitude to measure as much of the aircraft’s noise above the background ambience as possible. Data recorded from the field of omni-directional microphones was then processed by NASA into an “acoustic hemisphere,” representing the sound emission in all directions below the aircraft at a 100 ft radius. Joby then applied standard processing techniques for spherical spreading and atmospheric attenuation, resulting in an average free-field overhead flight acoustic reading of 45.2 dBA at 1640 feet (500 meters).

Joby also conducted more than 20 take-off and landing tests above the grid array, using a variety of acceleration rates and climb angles to allow NASA to capture acoustics representative of likely operational procedures. This data will be used to adjust flight software and take-off and landing procedures for further low-noise optimization.

From day one, the Joby aircraft was designed with acoustics in mind, with the number of propellers and blades, blade shape and radius, tip speeds, and disk loading of the aircraft all selected to minimize its acoustics footprint and improve the character of the sound produced. Each of the six propellers can also individually adjust its tilt, rotational speed, and blade pitch to avoid blade-vortex interactions that contribute to the acoustic footprint of traditional helicopters.

More details regarding procedures and measurements will be released by both Joby and NASA in technical papers to be presented at industry conferences this summer.

Why it matters: A key roadblock to the wide acceptance of eVTOL technologies will be lower acoustic impact on urban environments than traditional substitutes. Until now, noise performance figures have been mostly marketing gimmicks, lacking real tests. With this series of NASA testing, Joby has proved it has a craft capable of blending into the noise characteristics of an urban environment without disrupting life below.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Joby have announced they are forming a partnership that will see Japan’s largest airline join with Joby to bring aerial ridesharing services to Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) also joined the partnership, with the intention of exploring opportunities such as connections with ground-based transportation.

ANA and Joby are set to collaborate on all aspects of establishing this new form of transportation in Japan, including the development of infrastructure, pilot training, flight operations, air traffic management, public acceptance, and regulatory requirements. Integration with ground transportation will also be considered, with Toyota supporting this effort. The parties will also collaboratively conduct discussions with relevant private companies as well as local and national governments.

The three partners are all existing members of Japan’s Public-Private Conference for the Future Air Mobility Revolution, which was established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Investment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to accelerate the adoption of aerial ridesharing in the country.

Commenting on the partnership and the opportunity presented by the Japanese market, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said: “Joby exists to help people save time while reducing their carbon footprint. Japan offers us a spectacular opportunity to do just that with 92% of the population living in urban areas and Tokyo registering as one of the top 20 most congested cities in the world.”

He continued: “We’re humbled to be working with ANA, an airline that has deservedly been awarded SKYTRAX’s 5-Star rating nine years in a row, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring our aerial ridesharing service to reality in Japan.”

Joby Aviation has spent more than a decade developing the technology behind its aircraft, has completed more than 1,000 test flights, and is the first and only eVTOL company to sign a G-1 (stage 4) Certification Basis for their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Speaking about the opportunity presented by the introduction of aerial ridesharing in Japan, Koji Shibata, Representative Director and Executive Vice President at ANA HD, said: “ANA has 70 years of experience delivering safe and reliable flights to customers across the world. We’re proud to bring that operational experience to the table as part of this partnership and to be at the forefront of introducing this revolutionary form of transport to Japan.”

“Our customers value efficiency very highly, so being able to provide them with the option to travel rapidly – and sustainably – from an international airport to a downtown location is very appealing.”

The concept of aerial ridesharing has been gaining momentum in Japan as the country accelerates its efforts to prepare for the 2025 World Expo to be held in the western capital of Osaka. Osaka is the third most populous city in Japan and the largest component of the Keihanshin metropolitan area, consisting of more than 18 million residents.

While Joby’s aerial ridesharing service will be operated directly by the company and offered to passengers via its app or the Uber app in U.S markets, this announcement reflects Joby’s strategy to partner with local air transportation companies committed to delivering exceptional customer service and operational excellence in other countries. Additionally, Joby expects to work with local ground mobility partners to deliver seamless, end-to-end journeys for customers.

Why it matters: Airlines across the world are partnering with eVTOL manufacturers, and the agreement between ANA and Joby is the latest example of this movement. Joby brings to the table its wealth of experience in working alongside ride-sharing apps like Uber, as well as its notable eVTOL aircraft. Joby’s pre-existing investment relationship with Toyota and Toyota’s participation in this partnership is also exciting, for the potential of integrating Joby’s ride-sharing capabilities with ground-based transportation.