The two-seat model is primarily designed for flight training and owns European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) CS-23 and FAA Part 23 certification. It is now certified under Transport Canada’s Part V Subpart 21, allowing Tecnam to begin deliveries to private owners and flight training organizations in the country.

Designed to train students from first flight until they earn their commercial pilot license, the P-Mentor includes a variable pitch propeller, simulated retractable landing gear, and ballistic parachute. It also comes with a Garmin touchscreen and avionics and is powered by a Rotax 912iSc3 engine.

The model supports both VFR and IFR training at a cost of operation of just 89 Canadian dollars ($64.71) per hour, by Tecnam’s estimate. That efficiency enables it to fly for about nine hours between refuelings.

The company also claims the P-Mentor can reduce flight school emissions by as much as 60 percent. The aircraft could represent a fresh injection into a fleet of training aircraft that is largely aging.

“We look forward to working with all the Canadian flight schools to improve the quality of training and support lowering hourly rates,” said Giovanni Pascale Langer, managing director of Tecnam.

During last year’s EAA AirVenture, Tecnam introduced the P-Mentor in North America after agreeing to a deal with EpicSky Flight Academy for the purchase of 15 aircraft. The company earned full FAA Part 23 certification just a few months later. It started U.S. deliveries in June, beginning with a shipment to Kansas-based Kilo Charlie Aviation.

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The German manufacturer on Tuesday said it completed initial testing of its flagship aircraft’s propulsion unit, comprising a pair of electric engines and mounting system. For the first time, the engines were taken up to full throttle on a test bench at the company’s headquarters in Munich.

According to Lilium, the propulsion unit performed as expected, representing a key step toward the aircraft’s first crewed flight planned for later this year. The firm will need to demonstrate crewed operations for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in order to receive type certification in 2025 ahead of a planned 2026 commercial launch.

“For my fellow co-founders and myself, the first test run of the Lilium Jet propulsion unit marks another high point in our journey,” said Lilium co-founder Daniel Wiegand. “It was our shared belief in the radical potential of electric jet technology that brought us together in 2015 and continues to drive Lilium.”

The propulsion unit engines were developed by Lilium in collaboration with a handful of suppliers. Honeywell and Japanese firm Denso supplied the electric motor, Dutch manufacturer Aeronamic provided the compressor fan, and Sweden’s SKF delivered electric motor bearings.

The mounting system, which forms the rear part of the aircraft’s wings and front aerofoils, contains the propulsion unit and a vectoring system.

The system is designed to power the Lilium Jet’s 10 independent battery packs, which feed 36 electric ducted fans. The fans are embedded in the aircraft’s fixed wings and allow it to take off vertically like a helicopter.

The jet will primarily serve routes between towns and inner cities, cruising at 162 knots on trips spanning 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm).

Lilium began production of its flagship aircraft in December with the delivery of the first of seven fuselages to its assembly line in Wessling, Germany. Since then, it has begun manufacturing battery packs and installing an electric propulsion unit serial production line at the facility. Those systems initially will be deployed on the ground and eventually be integrated on the aircraft used for flight testing.

On Tuesday, Lilium said supplier Aernnova has completed the build of the propulsion mounting system. In addition, partner Sener this month delivered the first set of servo-actuators, which rotate the propulsion unit as the aircraft transitions between vertical and horizontal flight.

“Over the past years, we have invested heavily in the technology and secured extensive IP rights,” said Stephen Vellacott, chief technology officer of Lilium. “We now move a step closer to first manned flight and beyond that to the era of commercial electric flight.”

After obtaining EASA type certification in 2025, Lilium intends to secure the same approval from the FAA by leveraging a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the regulators. It is the only eVTOL manufacturer with certification bases from both the FAA and EASA.

In the U.S., Lilium intends for the jet to initially serve customers in South Florida and Southern California through a partnership with newly formed eVTOL operator UrbanLink, which in May placed an order for 20 aircraft. Earlier this week, UrbanLink partnered with Ferrovial Vertiports to build electric aircraft infrastructure in those markets.

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The FAA—which so far has published final airworthiness criteria for two air taxi designs, Archer Aviation’s Midnight and Joby Aviation’s flagship model—issued an advisory circular (AC) that would create the foundation for certification of powered lift vehicles, such as eVTOL aircraft. The AC, which lays out acceptable means for showing compliance with FAA Part 21 requirements for special class aircraft, is open for comment for 60 days.

EASA, meanwhile, updated its special condition for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (SC-VTOL) rules to incorporate new requirements agreed upon with the FAA, covering safe flight and landing, handling qualities, and single-point failures.

Simultaneously, the regulators together revised Safety Emphasis Items (SEI) lists—which determine an agency’s level of involvement in aircraft validation projects—for parts 23, 27, and 29. According to the FAA, the partners have reduced SEI requirements and placed greater responsibility on the authority actually certifying the aircraft.

“The FAA and EASA have achieved a significant milestone on the path to certifying eVTOL aircraft,” the FAA said in a statement. “This also marks important progress in our effort to more closely align rulemaking and policy initiatives between the United States and the European Union. We’re committed to ensuring the safety of the flying public both at home and abroad.”

Both the FAA and EASA have announced ambitious initiatives designed to cement their respective AAM industries as the world’s biggest and best. But before tackling challenges such as eVTOL infrastructure, which will require a network of vertiports and electric chargers to support the aircraft, the regulators first need to define clear certification pathways for the novel designs.

The FAA’s new criteria, intended for powered lift designs with maximum weights of 12,500 pounds and a maximum capacity of six passengers, were developed using standards in FAA parts 23, 27, 33, and 35. The regulator said it leveraged its work on Archer and Joby’s type certification applications to develop the standards, claiming they will create a more efficient path to developing the certification bases for powered lift projects.

For example, the FAA will no longer need to publish airworthiness criteria in the federal register for public notice and comment, as it was required to do for Archer and Joby’s aircraft, for designs that use the standards in the AC. Applicants can now propose certification bases that draw from previously approved designs, such as Archer’s Midnight, or use equivalent level of safety findings to adopt existing airworthiness criteria for their own projects.

EASA, which had already published an initial set of standards for VTOL projects, made a few key changes in the second issue of its SC-VTOL criteria. Unlike the FAA AC, it will not be subject to public consultation.

The most notable change is an increase of the maximum certified takeoff mass (MCTOM) from 7,000 pounds to about 12,500 pounds, one of many examples of the regulator adjusting standards or wording to better align with the FAA AC.

Another key provision is the introduction of a requirement around electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS), which transmit data and signals across aircraft systems. Manufacturers will need to prove these can be operated without risk.

So far, China’s EHang is the only eVTOL manufacturer in the world to achieve type certification, awarded by China’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) for the company’s EH216-S in October. Already, the manufacturer has completed commercial demonstration flights and begun mass production.

Things are moving a bit slower in the West, much to the chagrin of U.S. lawmakers and regulators, who don’t anticipate AAM operations at scale until 2028. It’s no secret that Western officials are wary of Chinese drones and electric vehicles, and the country’s growing AAM industry could be a threat to their dominance in that sphere as well.

Monday’s announcements should help accelerate the technology’s growth in the U.S. and Europe. In the coming months, expect the list of eVTOL companies with type certification bases to grow beyond Archer, Joby, and the handful of companies, among them Lilium and Volocopter, collaborating with EASA.

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Archer on Wednesday announced its subsidiary, Archer Air, received an FAA Part 135 air carrier and operator certificate, authorizing it to operate as a commercial airline as Midnight advances toward type certification. The manufacturer anticipates it will achieve that milestone next year. In the meantime, it plans on using its Part 135 approval to fly conventional aircraft “to refine its systems and procedures in advance of launching Midnight into service for airlines like United Airlines,” which in 2021 agreed to purchase $1 billion worth of Archer aircraft.

“Over my career, I’ve helped lead the buildout of JetBlue and Breeze Airways, and now that Archer has its Part 135 and 145 certificates from the FAA, I’m thrilled for our incredible team to commence operations on this innovative new air taxi service soon,” said Tom Anderson, chief operating officer of Archer Air.

The Part 135 certification process comprised five stages, Archer said. The manufacturer was required to submit operational manuals and procedures to the FAA, and company pilots demonstrated compliance with those materials under agency observation.

“This milestone reflects our team’s unwavering dedication to safety and operational excellence as we stand up one of the world’s first electric air taxi services for communities across the U.S. with a safe, sustainable and low noise transportation solution,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer.

Archer’s flagship Midnight is a zero-emission model designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on 20 to 50 sm (17 to 43 nm) air taxi routes, cruising at up to 150 mph (130 knots). The air taxi is intended to be cost competitive with ground-based rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft, replacing lengthy commutes with 10-to-20-minute flights, while producing significantly less noise than a helicopter.

Archer is one of just two eVTOL air taxi manufacturers to receive Part 135 permissions from the FAA, the other being competitor Joby Aviation. Joby, which unlike Archer intends to operate its own aircraft in the U.S., obtained its authorization in 2022.

Archer will have a hand to play in United’s operation of Midnight, though.

The company is developing a proprietary operations software platform, mobile booking platform, and technology that will integrate with vertiports, all of which will be essential to a commercial service. Now, it can begin to refine those platforms using conventional aircraft.

With Wednesday’s announcement, Archer now holds Part 135 and Part 145 certification, the latter of which authorizes it to perform select maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. But Midnight won’t be able to fly commercially until it achieves type certification, which would validate the aircraft’s design, and production certification, which will allow Archer to begin producing the type-certified model.

The manufacturer has already begun building three type-conforming Midnight air taxis to be used in crewed flight testing later this year. For-credit evaluations with the FAA will follow and represent one of the most critical steps in the type certification process.

The agency in May awarded Archer final airworthiness criteria for Midnight, which laid out the standards it will use to gauge the aircraft’s ability to integrate safely into the national airspace. Competitor Joby is the only other eVTOL manufacturer to reach that step with the regulator, obtaining its own criteria one month prior.

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The FAA on Thursday issued final airworthiness criteria for the company’s Midnight Model M001, making the aircraft only the second eVTOL air taxi to achieve that regulatory milestone in the U.S. The approval lays out the standards the regulator will use to gauge the aircraft’s ability to integrate into U.S. airspace. Archer aims to launch Midnight air taxi routes in New York and Chicago in partnership with United Airlines as soon as next year.

The manufacturer’s unique, zero-emission aircraft is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on back-to-back, 10-to-20-minute flights. The air taxi takes off vertically like a helicopter but cruises at up to 150 mph (130 knots) using a combination of fixed wings and forward propellers. Its optimal range is 10 to 50 sm (8.7 to 43 nm), but it can fly as far as 100 sm (87 nm) on a single charge.

Midnight has a total of 12 propellers, six of which are “tilt props” that can be positioned vertically or horizontally to aid in takeoff, landing, or forward flight. Propulsion is generated by six proprietary lithium-ion battery packs, each powering a pair of electric engines. The result, Archer claims on its webpage, is flights that are “up to 100 times quieter than a helicopter.”

The air taxi uses fly-by-wire flight controls and will be certified in the powered-lift category, a relatively new classification that still requires final FAA regulations on pilot certification. Archer claims it will ultimately be cost competitive with ground-based rideshare services, such as Uber and Lyft, on trips to and from urban centers and airports.

The FAA in December 2022 issued Archer’s proposed airworthiness criteria, allowing stakeholders and members of the public to comment on the prospective certification requirements. Competitor Joby Aviation received its own proposed requirements one month prior and is the only other eVTOL manufacturer to obtain final airworthiness criteria from the regulator, issued in March.

Archer’s finalized criteria are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Friday, where they will be visible to the public.

“Midnight is one giant step closer to taking passengers into the sky in the coming years in the U.S.,” said Billy Nolen, chief regulatory affairs officer at Archer and a former FAA administrator. “Thank you to the team at the FAA for their continued hard work in support of making the electrification of aviation a reality.”

The issuance of final airworthiness criteria allows Archer to proceed to for-credit flight testing with the regulator, a key step in the type certification process. For-credit testing will allow the FAA to gauge Midnight’s performance against the standards released Thursday, which could result in the aircraft being deemed safe to fly in U.S. skies.

Archer in February began building three type-conforming aircraft prototypes to be used in those evaluations. The manufacturer said Thursday that the first of those models will begin piloted flight testing later this year, followed by for-credit FAA testing.

“[Thursday’s] milestone adds significant momentum to Midnight’s certification program as we further ramp up our for-credit testing efforts with the FAA,” said Eric Wright, head of certification for Archer.

So far, only China’s EHang has managed to obtain type certification for an eVTOL air taxi from an aviation regulator, the country’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC). The manufacturer in December made the world’s first passenger-carrying eVTOL flight, completing a pair of commercial demonstrations in China.

German manufacturers Lilium and Volocopter also aim to launch commercial air taxi services in the next few years.

But Archer and Joby’s models are expected to be the first to take flight in the U.S., starting with major metro areas such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The companies have partnerships with major U.S. airlines, Archer with United and Joby with Delta Air Lines, though Joby intends to operate its own air taxi.

The manufacturers now have about a year and a half to meet their stated launch target of 2025. But the publication of final airworthiness criteria certainly gives them a lift.

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The manufacturer on Wednesday announced it completed the installation of an “automotive style” battery pack manufacturing line within its integrated test lab and manufacturing facilities in San Jose, California.

The production line is intended to complement the company’s air taxi manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, where it expects to initially produce up to 650 aircraft per year. The site remains under construction but is “on track” to be completed later this year, Archer reaffirmed Wednesday.

“This is a major milestone for Archer as designing, developing, and mass producing electric propulsion systems that are purpose built for electric aircraft is the key to unlocking the electrification of aviation,” said Tom Muniz, chief technology officer of Archer. “The facility will give us the capability to scale our battery pack production to meet the demands of the output that our Covington, Georgia, facility will be capable of.”

Each of Archer’s Midnight aircraft will run on six of the company’s proprietary lithium-ion battery packs, which power a dozen electric engines. The cylindrical cells within each pack deliver a higher level of safety, performance, and scalability than other form factors, Archer says. The packs are also equipped with a proprietary thermal runaway containment capability.

Archer’s new battery pack manufacturing line is designed to operate at full capacity from day one and, according to the company, is capable of producing up to 15,000 battery packs per year.

Certain portions of the manufacturing process—including cell testing and loading, adhesive dispensing, laser cleaning, laser welding, and end-of-line testing—have been automated. The manufacturer says this is intended to improve product quality and operator safety while making it easier to trace data across the manufacturing cycle.

Unlike the manufacturing strategy for the Midnight air taxi, which leverages outside suppliers to provide the majority of the aircraft’s components, Archer chose to vertically integrate battery cell design and production, building and assembling those components in house.

The battery packs in March successfully endured a series of 50-foot drop tests, a feat they will need to accomplish again during for-credit testing with the FAA. Similar to the 50-foot fuel tank drop test for rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft, the evaluation is meant to gauge the batteries’ ability to withstand a significant impact, which could cause a leak, fire, or explosion if the tech is not up to standard. Archer considers it to be one of the most challenging tests in the type-certification process for Midnight.

The manufacturer is also evaluating its battery pack technology with NASA via a Space Act agreement with the agency. Initial testing will gauge battery cell safety, energy, and power performance, studying how they might function in “extreme abuse cases.” The battery pack testing arrangement is just one portion of the agreement, Archer says.

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ICON announced a 60-pound increase in the A5’s gross weight, which results in a higher useful load of 490 pounds. Because the aircraft can burn less than 5 gallons per hour, the increased gross weight equates to two more hours of endurance or the ability to carry more cargo or heavier passengers.

• READ MORE: ICON A5 Receives FAA Primary Category Type Certification

The company said all 2024 ICON A5s will include the weight increase, and owners of earlier A5s can upgrade to the same performance level with an option package that includes a lightweight four-blade propeller from E-Props.

“In response to feedback from our owners and prospective customers, we elected to undertake further research and development to test the airframe and fully understand what we needed to do to increase the useful load,” said ICON CEO Jerry Meyer. “The solution is a reinforcement of our commitment to innovation, and a 60-pound increase is significant, especially in the LSA category.”

The new propeller, which is standard equipment on all new A5 LSAs, reduced the aircraft’s ground takeoff roll by 21 percent in standard conditions.

• READ MORE: Low Altitude Adventures Adds Second ICON A5 to Membership Program

“The four-blade propeller is a huge upgrade to my ICON A5,” said Santiago Masdeau, an ICON A5 owner based in South Florida. “I’ve flown more than 100 hours with the original three-blade, and now I have around 20 hours on the new carbon fiber four-blade. Immediately, I noticed less vibration and noise, better acceleration, and improved takeoff distances.”

The 2024 ICON A5 Limited Edition starts at $409,000, with the Garmin G3X Touch available as an upgrade. Additional options include autopilot, digital altitude indicator, Signature paint schemes and colors, and Sirius XM Weather. Announcement of the recent improvements follow the FAA type certification of the A5 in the primary category.

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The company this week reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 earnings, revealing that it recorded revenue for the first time and announcing plans to ramp up testing, certification, and manufacturing activities. Joby also said it became the first eVTOL manufacturer to complete the third of five stages in FAA type certification, and the firm is now turning to stage four: for-credit flight testing with the regulator.

Let’s start by breaking down that certification update. 

Joby will need type certification to fly commercially in 2025, the year it predicts it will enter service. The company’s air taxi is designed for a pilot to fly up to four passengers on 100 sm (87 nm) trips at cruise speeds as fast as 200 mph (174 knots). Due to its unique design features—including electric batteries and tilting propellers—the aircraft must go through a rigorous, five-stage gauntlet before the FAA approves it to carry passengers.

Joby on Wednesday said it wrapped up the third stage in that process, claiming to be the first in the industry to achieve the milestone. Stage three covers certification plans for the aircraft’s structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, as well as Joby’s approach to cybersecurity, noise, and human factors. Each component required a separate document defining the testing and analysis used to certify it for commercial service.

“From the carbon fiber composites to the metallics, the flight electronics to the control systems, the batteries to the electric propulsion systems, and much more, we now have a well-defined path to certification,” said Didier Papadopoulos, president of aircraft OEM at Joby, on the company’s earnings call.

All certification plans—including those for approving the aircraft’s novel propulsion system—have now been reviewed and, crucially, accepted by the FAA. Joby said it can now submit detailed test plans for the fourth phase: for-credit testing and analysis of aircraft components and systems, as well as the aircraft itself, with the regulator.

If it receives a passing grade, the company will enter the final phase, in which the FAA may issue the air taxi a type certificate and operational specifications.

“With all of our aircraft certification plans accepted, we’re able to map out dozens of upcoming visits with the FAA, focused on dry running our system level and aircraft level tests,” said Papadopoulos.

First Revenue and Rising Net Loss

Joby on Wednesday also reported earnings for the fourth quarter and full year 2023. Among the highlights was the company’s first reported revenue: $1 million from early flight services provided to the Department of Defense, conducted in Marina, California, using a prototype aircraft.

The manufacturer also reported $1 billion in cash and short-term investments at the end of the quarter, giving it significant liquidity heading into 2024. However, its full-year net loss of about $513 million was nearly double that of 2022.

Net cash used in operating activities and purchases of property, plant, and equipment totaled $91 million in Q4 and $344 million for the full year, below what the company expected it would spend. However, its net loss grew $48 million year over year, which the company attributed to higher operating costs and lower favorable revaluation of warrants and earnout shares.

Joby’s Q4 net loss of $115 million included operational losses of $128 million, about the same as the prior quarter, partly offset by interest, revenue, and other income of $13 million. The company attributed this to increased operating expenses due primarily to costs to support certification and manufacturing of the company’s prototype aircraft, parts, and test articles.

The manufacturer’s adjusted earnings before income, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) was minus-$96 million in Q4, widening $18.6 million year over year and $3.1 million quarter over quarter. That figure mainly reflects employee costs associated with development, certification, and manufacturing, Joby said.

Joby’s Big 2023

While small, Joby’s first $1 million in revenue gives it reason to celebrate. But the manufacturer spent 2023 laying the groundwork to make much more in the future.

Joby ends 2023 with plenty of momentum, having launched initial manufacturing and delivered the first of nine air taxis to Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) in California ahead of schedule. At Edwards, NASA, U.S. Air Force, and Joby pilots are using it to conduct testing, evaluations, and training. Crewed flight tests began in October, and the company says it now has more than 100 such flights under its belt.

The “most significant commercial development of the quarter” according to Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt, however, was Joby’s exclusive six-year agreement to operate air taxis in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The deal shuts out competitors such as Archer Aviation and Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility, who had previously announced plans to fly in the city. Joby also partnered with Skyports, which will fund, develop, and operate four initial vertiports in Dubai.

“The government of Dubai wants this service to be the first in the world, and their actions certainly reflect that ambition, with support from the very highest levels of government and a regulatory pathway that builds on FAA processes that allows for operations ahead of achieving type certification in the U.S.” said Bevirt on the company’s earnings call.

Joby also participated in the first eVTOL test flights in New York City, one of its planned initial service locations in partnership with Delta Air Lines. The company flew its air taxi out of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (KJRB) in front of Mayor Eric Adams and other city stakeholders. 

Adams also announced plans to electrify the heliport, where Archer is also planning a service that would connect it with Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR). In addition, Joby on Wednesday said it will work with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York City Economic Development Corporation to develop eVTOL infrastructure at John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) and LaGuardia Airport (KLGA).

“This was a seminal moment for our company,” said Bevirt. “Seeing a Joby aircraft lift off from a Manhattan heliport and complete a flight against the backdrop of the New York City skyline was quite literally a dream come true for me, and it moved the needle.”

Toward the end of the year, Joby announced agreements with U.S. FBO networks such as Clay Lacy Aviation and Atlantic Aviation to expand the deployment of its global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) in New York and Los Angeles. It also partnered with Japan’s Nomura Real Estate Development to install GEACS chargers in Tokyo.

Joby positions GEACS as a competitor to the combined charging system (CCS) standard that has been endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and several competitors, including Archer, Beta Technologies, Lilium, Volocopter, Overair, and Boeing’s Wisk Aero. 

Both GEACS and CCS are billed as universal charging systems designed to accommodate all electric aircraft. But the industry may adopt only one proposal, making these early FBO agreements valuable.

As it works to add launch and infrastructure partners, Joby simultaneously has leveraged stakeholders such as NASA, with which it conducted groundbreaking air taxi simulations in December. The partners studied how existing air traffic control and airport procedures could accommodate eVTOL aircraft alongside conventional models.

“During the simulation, air traffic controllers were able to integrate up to 120 eVTOL operations per hour, arrivals and departures, from [Dallas/Fort Worth International] Airport’s [KDFW] central terminal area,” said Papadopoulos.

The Outlook for 2024

With the third stage of Joby’s type certification process now complete, the company is gearing up for its final FAA exam. But there’s plenty more on the horizon.

“Our priority in 2024 will be progressing the certification and manufacturing of our aircraft,” the company said in a letter to shareholders. “We expect to increase our focus on commercialization as we prepare to enter commercial service in 2025.”

Joby estimated it will use between $440 million and $470 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments during 2024. 

A significant portion of those funds will support the beginning of component manufacturing at the company’s scaled production plant in Dayton, Ohio, as well as the expansion of its low-volume manufacturing site in Marina. Papadopoulos said on the earnings call that the manufacturer has one aircraft in final assembly, with two more expected to roll out shortly after.

“We expect to reach a production run rate equivalent to one aircraft a month by the end of the year as we continue to ramp production in support of certification and commercialization,” said Bevirt.

Joby said the Marina expansion will more than double its footprint and support flight training, aircraft storage, and expanded manufacturing. It would also double the site’s annual production capacity, allowing the firm to manufacture 25 aircraft per year as its larger facility comes online. The Dayton site is expected to initially churn out 500 aircraft per year.

Joby also intends to extend flight demonstrations to more key markets and expand its relationship with the DOD. It plans to commit to at least two more aircraft deliveries under its current $131 million contract with the Air Force.

“Our revenue this year will be driven by on-base, government-directed flights that are part of the contract that we signed with the DOD in April of last year,” said Matt Field, chief financial officer of Joby, on the earnings call.

Joby expects revenue generation in 2024 will be “lumpy,” owing to the unpredictability of DOD test campaigns. However, the company’s focus is not on making money now, but later.

“While we aren’t blind to the challenges ahead of us, we believe that we are best positioned to succeed with the strongest balance sheet, the best team in the industry, and most important, a laser focus on delivery,” said Bevirt.

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The manufacturer on Friday revealed that the FAA accepted its propulsion system certification plan, one of several documents that tells the regulator how the company will demonstrate compliance with aviation regulations. According to Joby, all structural, mechanical, and electrical system certification plans for its five-seat air taxi have now been approved.

Didier Papadopoulos, president of aircraft OEM at Joby, said the certification helps “sets the stage” for the firm to successfully complete for-credit FAA flight evaluations, which it expects to conduct later this year.

“I’m grateful to the incredible Joby team as well as the dedicated personnel at the FAA who continue to work hard to bring safety and innovation together, keeping the United States at the forefront of new aviation technology and capabilities,” said Papadopoulos.

FAA type certification reviews the design, manufacturing, and performance of new aircraft models presented for operation in the U.S., including their propulsion systems. Joby is in the third of five stages in that rigorous process.

The manufacturer designed its own propulsion system, which includes six dual-wound electric motors powered by isolated battery packs. This provides redundancy and eliminates single points of failure. The distributed electric propulsion configuration also reduces emissions and noise—Joby claims the latter is “as quiet as a conversation” during flight. Company presentations indicate a noise level of 45 dBA.

The company said its production prototype aircraft, rolled off the production line in June, delivers “nearly twice the power of the Tesla Model S Plaid, despite being lighter.”

The FAA-accepted propulsion certification plan covers Joby’s electric propulsion unit, propeller system, variable pitch actuation, coolant pump, nacelles, and the associated electrical wiring. It lays out definitive criteria to certify those systems for commercial passenger operations.

According to the manufacturer, all but one of its certification plans have been accepted by the regulator, and the final document is under review. As it nears completion of the third stage of type certification, the company said it has now shifted focus to the fourth phase, which comprises testing and analysis of aircraft systems and components.

In 2023, Joby completed 30 for-credit tests with the FAA, evaluating aircraft components such as flight electronics and structural materials. October marked the beginning of crewed flight testing, a critical milestone in development. The challenge now will be putting everything together for the final FAA evaluations.

Joby this week also obtained FAA Part 145 Repair Station certification, which the company will use initially to perform select maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) activities on traditional aircraft. The approval further clears the way for expanded MRO services following type certification of its air taxi. Competitor Archer Aviation announced on the same day it had received its Part 145 certificate, as well.

Joby’s zero-emission air taxi is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on 100 sm (87 nm) trips at cruise speeds as fast as 200 mph (174 knots), while producing a “fraction” of the noise emitted by helicopters. The company requires type certification before its intended commercial launch in 2025, in partnership with Delta Air Lines.

Unlike most of its competitors, Joby intends to operate its air taxis itself, initially in metro areas such as New York and Los Angeles. The manufacturer recently collaborated with NASA to simulate air taxi traffic around airports, evaluating the integration of operations alongside conventional aircraft. A group of active and retired air traffic controllers was recruited to assist with the simulations.

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The manufacturer on Thursday announced it received Part 145 Repair Station certification from the FAA, opening the door for select maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services in the short term and expanded MRO operations down the line.

“This is a major vote of confidence from the FAA on Archer’s promise and potential for operating a full-scale urban air mobility [UAM] service in cities across the country,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer. “As we continue to rapidly advance towards commercial operations, we will be working closely with the FAA and regulators around the world to ensure Archer’s aircraft are safe and ready to transform mobility, providing a sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive alternative to decongest our biggest cities.”

Archer competitor Joby Aviation also announced Thursday that it received Part 145 certification. The latter believes it is the first to receive the approval, which if true means the rivals are the first two eVTOL manufacturers authorized to conduct MRO operations.

Midnight, Archer’s flagship, zero-emission aircraft, is designed for a pilot to fly up to four passengers (or 1,000 pounds of cargo) on 100 sm (87 nm) trips, cruising at 130 knots. The vision is for the air taxi to perform quick, back-to-back flights with little charge time in between. Archer claims the design will be safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost competitive with ground-based rideshare services, such as Uber or Lyft.

The manufacturer intends to fly the air taxi in 2025 in partnership with United Airlines, which is also an investor and customer. Routes will operate out of United hub airports in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Unlike Joby, which is partnered with Delta Air Lines, Archer will not operate the aircraft itself.

Part 145 certification allows commercial operators and OEMs, such as Archer, to perform limited MRO services on critical components such as airframes. The approval is a vote of confidence from the FAA, signaling Archer’s commitment to safety and operational standards, including the transport of hazardous materials.

The company said its certification “guarantees” that maintenance and repairs are done by “authorized experts,” ensuring operations adhere to the FAA’s strict safety requirements.

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