Joby Aviation Begins Propeller Blade Production in Dayton, Strengthening the Region’s Aviation Legacy
Joby Aviation, the California-based developer of electric air taxis designed for commercial passenger transport, has announced an important new step in its industrialization journey: the start of propeller blade manufacturing at its newly established facility in Dayton, Ohio. This move represents a major milestone for the company as it scales in-house production of a mission-critical aircraft component, while also building on the technical and operational groundwork that Joby has already laid in the state. With this decision, Joby reinforces Dayton’s longstanding heritage as a cradle of aviation manufacturing and innovation, aligning with the company’s preparation for commercial service launch in the coming years.
The announcement signals a continued shift toward deeper vertical integration, enabling Joby to improve production quality, increase manufacturing efficiency, and establish a robust supply chain for its future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) fleet. Dayton will serve as a strategic anchor for this growth, helping Joby accelerate the development of its aircraft and certification timelines.
Propeller Blade Production Marks Important Step Toward Commercial eVTOL Scale-Up
Propeller blades are one of the most technically complex and defining elements of Joby’s eVTOL aircraft. According to Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby, Dayton offers the ideal ecosystem to scale this sophisticated manufacturing process.
“Dayton gives us the resources, talent, and speed to scale one of the most technically demanding parts of our aircraft,” said Allison. He emphasized that Joby’s propeller blades are central to the aircraft’s unique acoustic signature—one of its competitive differentiators—and represent the culmination of more than ten years of intensive engineering work.
The company is pursuing an aircraft configuration featuring six electric propulsors. Each propeller will utilize five blades, making a total of 30 blades required for every aircraft. With the new facility, Joby anticipates the capacity to manufacture as many as 15,000 blades annually, ultimately supporting scaled commercial production once certification is achieved. The target is to complete the first set of “conforming” blades—units that meet all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for inspection and approval—by next month. These blades are expected to be installed on flight-test vehicles beginning next year.
This rapid advancement underlines the company’s confidence in Dayton as a high-value development and manufacturing destination. Joby already conducts various testing and validation work in Ohio, and propeller manufacturing is now set to become a core part of the company’s local operations.
Advanced Materials, Precision Engineering, and Skilled Labor Fuel Production
Producing Joby’s propeller blades requires advanced carbon-composite fabrication and highly specialized workforce capabilities. The company notes that Dayton provides both the technical talent and industrial supply chain capacity necessary to support this highly precise, aerospace-grade production process. Blades are designed not only to meet stringent safety and performance targets, but also to deliver extremely low noise levels during operation—an essential factor in enabling eVTOL aircraft to operate comfortably in urban environments.
The ability to manufacture composite blades in-house represents a strategic differentiator for Joby. It allows the company to protect proprietary technologies and optimize performance while ensuring tighter control over production cycles and quality assurance. In Dayton, nearly every material or equipment resource required to produce the blades can be sourced within just 30 minutes of the facility. This dense industrial network significantly reduces logistics complexity, limits supply chain risk, and supports faster iteration during developmental manufacturing phases.
Dayton to Support Long-Term Manufacturing Scale, Up to 500 Aircraft Annually
As Joby works toward full-scale commercialization, its Dayton footprint is expected to grow substantially. The company has indicated that the site could ultimately support production of up to 500 aircraft per year. With blade fabrication now underway, the propeller facility becomes a foundational asset, supporting multiple stages of aircraft development, certification, and final assembly pipeline needs.
The new Ohio manufacturing hub forms part of Joby’s broader integrated production strategy. For several years, the company has refined and optimized its manufacturing practices at its facilities in Marina and Santa Cruz, California, working closely with automotive and manufacturing partner Toyota. Lessons learned from this collaboration—particularly around mass production, quality management, tooling, and workforce training—will now be transferred to Ohio to support higher manufacturing throughput and standardization.
Dayton will play a central role in this long-term strategy, serving as the core site for propeller blade production. It will complement the California operations, which will maintain significant engineering, development, and certification functions. Together, the facilities form a bi-coastal production ecosystem designed to support efficient scaling once type certification is awarded.
A Region with Deep Aviation Roots
Joby’s decision to invest in Dayton reflects the city’s rich history in aviation and aerospace innovation. Known as the home of the Wright brothers, Dayton has been a foundational site for aircraft development for more than a century. Beyond its historic legacy, the region today boasts a deeply skilled manufacturing workforce, a strong advanced-materials sector, and research-focused institutions aligned with defense and aerospace industries.
These strengths were key drivers in Joby’s selection of the region. The close proximity to suppliers and manufacturing partners supports high-volume component production, shortens development cycles, and provides a competitive advantage as the company works toward commercial readiness. The company has also highlighted the community’s enthusiasm and alignment around the future of flight as a motivating factor in selecting Dayton.
Supporting Certification and Future Growth
Joby’s propeller production initiative will directly support the company’s type certification program and future production certification efforts with the FAA. Producing conforming blades will enable assembly and flight testing activities essential to achieving regulatory approval. Additionally, Dayton’s growing manufacturing infrastructure will provide Joby with the ability to scale production beyond initial commercial launch, supporting long-term industry demand.
With the new blade manufacturing capability in place, Joby continues moving closer to establishing a fully integrated and scalable aircraft supply chain. This includes managing the development and production of core technologies such as electric propulsion units, flight control systems, lightweight materials, and now propeller blades.
Celebration Event Planned for Dayton Facility
To commemorate the start of blade production, Joby will host an event on November 10 at the Dayton site. The gathering will bring together local and regional officials, commercial partners, and Joby employees to celebrate the milestone. The event will highlight the importance of Dayton’s role in ushering in the next generation of aviation and is expected to underscore the company’s commitment to the region’s long-term development.