Joby Aviation plans to introduce its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft to the UK market and this week announced it has begun the type certification process with the country’s Civil Aviation Authority. The U.S. company is seeking approval via a process of concurrent validation for the FAA type certificate it hopes to secure in 2024, and it is taking the same approach with EASA approval covering other European countries.
In March the UK CAA and the FAA agreed to work together on type certification arrangements for eVTOL aircraft. Both agencies also have bilateral validation agreements in place with EASA and Transport Canada, plus working arrangements with many more countries. The agreements cover type certification and also production and operational approvals.
“By working hand-in-hand on certification the UK and the U.S. are setting the stage for these two countries to be among the earliest adopters of this important new technology,” said Joby Aviation founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. “We strongly believe that a collaborative approach to regulation helps to foster greater safety and accelerate the introduction of new technologies that benefit the public and the environment.”
California-based Joby has not yet said whether it intends to operate air taxi services itself in the UK or sell its aircraft to other operators. “We are working to assess our options in the UK and other international markets,” the company said in a written response to FutureFlight. “Joby is planning to launch service in international markets, including the UK, after our initial launch in the United States. We have already begun working with industry and government stakeholders across all levels of the ecosystem such as [air traffic management contractor] NATS, [industry group] ADS, and more to lay the groundwork for eVTOLs in the UK.”
Earlier this year, Joby became a member of the ADS aerospace trade association. The all-electric Joby aircraft is expected to have a range of 150 miles.
“We’re incredibly excited about the potential for electric aerial ridesharing to offer a new form of clean and affordable urban and regional connectivity across the UK, where more than 80 percent of the population lives in, or near, cities,” said Bevirt.
