Joby Aviation completes first piloted eVTOL flight, eyes Dubai launch

Joby Aviation announced an industry-first: completing a piloted test flight between two public airports in the US, from Marina (OAR) to Monterey (MRY). This milestone is a strong signal of Joby’s commercial market readiness, showcasing operational capabilities that will be core to Joby’s planned Dubai launch in 2026.

The achievement highlights Joby’s ability to operate in real-world conditions, integrating with existing airport infrastructure and air traffic control, all key steps in preparing for passenger service in Dubai.

• FAA-controlled airspace: Joby successfully navigated alongside other aircraft, travelling 10 miles in 12 minutes, including a five-minute holding pattern at MRY for air traffic sequencing.

• Real-world demos: This point-to-point airport operation mirrors the service model Joby will bring to Dubai, offering fast, efficient, and sustainable urban connections.

• Mature flight test programme: The milestone builds on more than 40,000 miles of real-world test flights across four countries, underscoring the maturity of Joby’s development.

Joby Aviation, a developer of all-electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, said the Marina-to-Monterey flight also represents significant progress across safety, operations, certification, and integration with air traffic control systems.

The piloted flight featured vertical takeoff, transition to wingborne flight, controlled airspace integration, and vertical landing. It also marked the first time a piloted electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has flown between two public airports, while successfully demonstrating Joby’s ability to conduct mobile testing and provide ground support away from its home base in Marina.

Read: Flying taxi firm Joby applies for aircraft certification in the UAE

“Successfully flying from Marina to Monterey showcased operations of our aircraft integrated in the broader transportation network and further validated its performance to ensure we’re prepared for service on day one,” said Didier Papadopoulos, President of Aircraft OEM at Joby. “For years, our flight testing has validated our aircraft’s capabilities, and we’ve done this across a wide range of environmental conditions. As part of the natural progression of our flight test programme, it was time to venture further, and there was no better place to visit first than our neighbors in Monterey.”

The test flights also generated developmental data on the human factors of operating at controlled airports and in national airspace. At Monterey, Joby’s aircraft sequenced with other air traffic, including entering a holding pattern to accommodate an arriving airliner. The demonstration showed Joby’s adherence to FAA protocols, similar to those followed by commercial airlines—an essential element of the certification process, as the FAA requires proof that new aircraft can operate safely in shared airspace across multiple airports.

Video of the flight demonstration can be seen below:

The achievement follows Joby’s planned acquisition of Blade Air Mobility’s passenger business, further underlining its commercial readiness. To date, Joby has flown more than 40,000 miles across its test fleet and has begun final assembly of its first aircraft intended for Type Inspection Authorisation flight testing, one of the final steps before FAA certification. Test flights with FAA pilots are expected early next year, ahead of plans to launch commercial service in Los Angeles and New York City.