Santa Clara-Based Developer Aims to Enhance Urban Mobility with Electric Air Taxis in Melbourne and Sydney by 2025
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
Santa Clara-based electric drone taxi developer Joby recently announced that it had applied for type certification in Australia for its eVTOL aircraft, designed to enhance urban mobility in congested areas.
Australia has long been seen as a potential hotbed for AAM development, leading to increasing interest in accessing the valuable potential markets of large cities like Melbourne and Sydney. Melbourne was among the first cities to be chosen for Uber Elevate’s air taxi program, which was acquired in 2020 by Joby.
Joby Type Certification: Japan, UK, Australia and Beyond
By applying to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority for an FAA type certification validation, the company is leveraging a bilateral agreement that provides reciprocity for aircraft approvals. Joby has also applied for certification in Japan and the United Kingdom under similar reciprocal agreements with their civil aviation authorities.
The company intends to begin air taxi services in 2025, and is currently in the third leg of the five-stage FAA approval process. The aircraft is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at up to 200 miles per hour.
“In Australia there is strong policy support for the development of Advanced Air Mobility from our safety regulator, CASA, our Federal and State Governments”, said Clem Newton-Brown, CEO of Skyportz, an Australian skyport developer. “What we have been missing since the departure of Uber Elevate is a serious commitment from any of the leading electric air taxi operators to enter our market, through local certification. This announcement by industry leader, Joby, is very exciting for the emerging local ecosystem”.
In February of 2024, Joby product manager and former Uber Elevate team leader Eric Allison spoke about the future of drone taxis on the Drone Radio Show, where he described a not-too-distant future where air taxis are a major part of urban transportation (listen here).
More information on Joby is available on their website.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker
Subscribe to DroneLife here.