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• Joby was expecting to receive FAA certification in second half of 2022
• FAA Part 135 allows companies to operate on-demand, unscheduled air service
Joby Aviation Inc (NYSE: JOBY) on Thursday said it had received US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification that would allow the company to kick start its air-taxi operations commercially.
Although the certification gives the necessary clearance, the company still needs two more FAA clearances before its five-seater aircraft can legally fly passengers.
Joby said the company was expecting to receive the Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate in the second half of 2022.
FAA said its Part 135 “grants the authority to operate on-demand, unscheduled air service,” which is critical for Joby’s planned launch of an all-electric aerial ridesharing service in 2024.
The certification will let the company operate its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as an air taxi service in cities across the United States.
“Over the coming months, we will use our Part 135 certificate to exercise the operations and customer technology platforms that will underpin our multi-modal ridesharing service while also refining our procedures to ensure seamless journeys for our customers,” Bonny Simi, Head of Air Operations and People at Joby, and an FAA-approved pilot said.
In February, Joby’s piloted prototype aircraft met an accident during a test flight at its base in California, but no injuries were reported.
Picture Credit: CNBC
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