Joby Aviation has reached a significant milestone in its pursuit of electric air taxi services, conducting its first piloted eVTOL flight between two U.S. public airports — Marina Municipal and Monterey Regional.
The flight, which covered roughly 10 nautical miles, lasted about 12 minutes and included a five-minute holding pattern at Monterey to accommodate air traffic. The aircraft executed a vertical takeoff, transitioned to wing-borne flight, and safely integrated into controlled airspace before making a vertical landing.
This marks the first-ever piloted eVTOL flight between two public U.S. airports in FAA-controlled airspace. Joby said the mission demonstrated critical capabilities related to safety, operations, air traffic control compliance, and certification efforts.
“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 Aviation.
The company has logged more than 40,000 miles in flight testing and has begun final assembly of the aircraft slated for FAA Type Inspection Authorization trials. Flight testing with FAA pilots is expected to begin early next year, with commercial service set to launch in Los Angeles and New York City following certification.