Joby Aviation has filed an application with Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to have the pending FAA type certification for its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft validated in the country. On August 6, the U.S. company announced the start of the process, which will be based on CASA’s bilateral agreement with the U.S. regulator.
Australia is the fourth country in which Joby is now seeking a type certificate for an aircraft it aims to bring into commercial service in 2025. It has also made applications in the UK and Japan.
As Joby edges closer to having the first of its aircraft enter service, it has stepped up the rollout of its ElevateOS software that will support every aspect of the planned air taxi operations. The basis for this platform, which will include a customer-facing app for booking flights, was the technology it acquired when it bought Uber’s "Uber Elevate" air taxi business unit back in 2021.
Several companies in Australia have started laying plans to develop the infrastructure needed for advanced air mobility operations in cities including Melbourne and Brisbane. These include local company Skyportz and its UK-based rival Skyports Infrastructure. Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero has also focused some of its development work in Australia.
Locally-based Australian start-ups are developing eVTOL aircraft, including AMSL with its Vertiia model. Skyportz’s sister company Wilbur Air recently announced its intention to operate Crisalion’s Integrity eVTOL vehicle for regional air services through a partnership with the Spanish company, which is partnered with Australia’s Dovetail Electric Aviation.