Californian eVTOL manufacturer Joby Aviation has applied for certified use of its aircraft in Australia.
The advanced air mobility company applied to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for the validation of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certificate, building on an agreement between the two regulators to operate air taxis in Australia.
“With powered-lift aircraft operations already considered in CASA’s regulatory frameworks, we see great potential to offer new quiet, emissions-free options for mobility around Australia’s global cities,” a Joby spokesperson told Zag Daily.
“We’ve applied to validate our aircraft’s FAA type certificate, once received, with Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), leveraging the existing bilateral aviation safety agreement between the two regulators – just as we’re doing with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority and Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).”
Joby claims it’s the first electric air taxi company to have completed the first three stages of the FAA’s five stage multi-year type certification process required for commercial use. According to its Q2 financial results released earlier this week, Joby has completed 37% of the fourth stage.
The financial results also show that Joby maintained a balance sheet of $825 million in cash and short-term investments at the end of Q2.
Joby’s electric air taxi can carry a pilot and four passengers at a speed of 200mph, and the company says it has completed more than 33,000 miles with a full-scale prototype aircraft.
The company rolled out its third production prototype aircraft in Marina, California, with the fourth expected to fly in a test programme during Q3.
In July, Joby flew a hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator for 523 miles by using a converted pre-production prototype battery-electric aircraft fitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system.
