California-based eVTOL maker Joby has become the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer to apply for foreign validation of its US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification. Joby announced at the Farnborough International Airshow that it has formally applied for its revolutionary aircraft design to be certified for use in the United Kingdom. This will accelerate the company’s path to market in the UK.
Joby will now work with the FAA for its US-based certification to be concurrently validated by the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Joby is pursuing the ‘type certification’ for its aircraft with the FAA and expects the US to be its first operating market. 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.
Joby’s five-seat piloted eVTOL maximum range of 150 miles and a quiet acoustic profile. It is designed to connect people and cities through fast, quiet, and emissions-free flights.
By working hand-in-hand on certification, the UK and the US are setting the stage for these two countries to be amongst the earliest adopters of this important new technology, said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby Aviation.
“We strongly believe that a collaborative approach to regulation helps to foster greater safety and accelerate the introduction of new technologies that benefit the public and the environment.”
Joby announced in March that it had joined ADS Group, the premiere UK trade association for aerospace, defence and security companies, and is working with the UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services, NATS, to explore the integration of Joby services into the UK airspace.
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