MARINA – Joby Aviation, the corporate that develops electric air taxis for industrial passenger service, including at its Marina facility, welcomes the discharge of latest Federal Aviation Administration rules designed to permit its planes to operate within the United States.
On Tuesday, the FAA issued a final rule on the qualifications and training instructors and pilots should have to fly aircraft on this “powered-lift” category. The rule also addresses their operational requirements, including minimum safety altitudes and required visibility.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is prepared for powered lift, which can be the primary entirely recent category of civilian aircraft because the introduction of helicopters within the Nineteen Forties. Electric elevator operations include air taxis, freight deliveries, and a wide range of operations in urban and rural areas.
“The rule is the final piece of the puzzle for the safe introduction of these aircraft in the near future,” the FAA said in its press release. “The possibilities for the use of powered elevators are extensive, ranging from carrying passengers in urban areas and short-haul operations such as air ambulance and cargo operations, to potentially serving smaller communities over time.”
Joby Aviation said the FAA's final rule “provides the necessary foundation for Joby to begin commercial passenger service in the United States once the company has received type certification of its aircraft.”
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In February, Joby became the primary developer of electrical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to finish the third of 5 phases of the Federal Aviation Administration's type certification process.
Joby Aviation's aircraft is designed to hold a pilot and 4 passengers at speeds of as much as 200 miles per hour, providing high-speed mobility with a small fraction of the noise generated by helicopters and 0 operational emissions.
According to the FAA, this final rule adopts everlasting changes and a special federal aviation regulation for a period of ten years to: facilitate the certification of power lift pilots, make clear operating rules for power lift operations, and finalize other changes which are essential to integrate air lift into the national airspace system.
“The FAA will continue to prioritize the safety of our system as we work to seamlessly integrate innovative technology and operations. This final rule provides the necessary framework to allow powered aircraft to operate safely in our airspace,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a news release. “Powered lift aircraft are the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years and this historic rule will pave the way for the commencement of large-scale Advanced Air Mobility operations in the future.”
Joby Aviation has been in business for about seven years and is establishing a producing facility in Marina, where the corporate began producing its aircraft at its pilot production plant and the primary aircraft rolled off the assembly line in June 2023.
In April, Joby broke ground on its recent 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Marina and expects to start operations in 2025, greater than doubling its footprint while also allowing the corporate to deliver 25 aircraft per yr. The second production aircraft prototype to roll off the corporate's pilot production line provided the backdrop for the groundbreaking ceremony.
The carrier has testing facilities in Marina, which include an integrated test laboratory and flight test capability.
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