Kazakhstan Joins eVTOL Race With $250 Million Joby Deal

Kazakhstan has entered the advanced air mobility race with plans to introduce electric air taxi services using Joby Aviation’s four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. On November, the California-based manufacturer announced it had signed a letter of intent with Kazakhstan’s Alatau Advance Air Group (AAAG) covering up to $250 million in eVTOL aircraft and services. The deal includes pre-delivery payments, Joby noted. 

Complementing that agreement, Joby also signed a memorandum of understanding with the newly established Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“Kazakhstan is taking a step into the future of innovative transportation,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, who was appointed Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister and head of the new digital development ministry. “This initiative will contribute to the growth of Alatau City as a unique hub of advanced technologies of the future.”

Based at the Astana International Financial Center in the Kazakh capital of Astana, AAAG is a private company that aims to introduce electric air taxi services in the country. It will initially focus on the southeastern city of Almaty, the country’s largest and most populous city, as well as the neighboring city of Alateu, where a 340-square-mile “smart city” development project is underway.

“We envision bringing urban air mobility to life in Kazakhstan, beginning with the newly developed smart city of Alatau and the metropolitan hub of Almaty,” said company CEO Sergey Khegay. “Our ambition is to become the region’s first launch customer for eVTOL aircraft, establish a comprehensive testbed and ground infrastructure, and support the government of Kazakhstan in creating a robust regulatory environment for safe and reliable operations.”

Joby and AAAG did not specify how they intend to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to launch commercial eVTOL services in Kazakhstan, although Joby noted that the ministry “has committed to embracing the development of advanced air mobility in Kazakhstan, including the creation of the regulatory environment and infrastructure required for the successful implementation of air taxis.”

While Joby has not committed to a specific timeframe for FAA type certification and service entry, the company appears to be leading the pack among U.S. eVTOL manufacturers. On November 5, Joby announced it had powered on the first FAA-conforming prototype built for type inspection authorization testing. The company is also preparing to launch eVTOL services in the UAE.

“We are deploying our proven market-entry playbook in Kazakhstan by partnering with both the government and a strategic regional operator to accelerate our path to commercial operations,” said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. “Kazakhstan is positioning itself to become a key hub for advanced air mobility and the expansion of Joby’s service into the Central Asia region.”