Joby Aviation Welcomes U.S. Advanced Air Mobility Strategy as Critical Catalyst for Commercial eVTOL Deployment
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY), a pioneer in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed for commercial passenger service, has expressed strong support for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s newly released Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Strategy. The company said the Strategy represents a decisive step toward enabling large-scale commercial air taxi operations in the United States and provides a long-awaited policy framework to guide the safe and coordinated integration of next-generation aircraft into the national airspace.
The Strategy establishes a comprehensive roadmap addressing the core elements required for AAM deployment, including infrastructure development, workforce readiness, safety oversight, data sharing, and coordination across federal, state, local, and tribal governments. For Joby, which is among the most advanced eVTOL developers globally, the announcement comes at a pivotal moment as the company prepares for early operational deployments and final certification milestones.
JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, emphasized the significance of the Strategy as a strong signal of federal commitment to the future of aviation.
“This strategy is tangible proof that the U.S. government recognizes the value of the advanced air mobility industry,” Bevirt said. “It arrives as we prepare for early air taxi operations in U.S. cities through the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program created by executive action earlier this year. It demonstrates that federal agencies, working alongside state, local, and tribal partners, are ready to support the next generation of American leadership in aviation.”
A Coordinated Federal Vision for Advanced Air Mobility
The AAM National Strategy stems from the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination Act, passed by Congress in 2022. The legislation was designed to ensure that federal agencies work collaboratively to address the regulatory, infrastructure, and investment needs required to mature the AAM ecosystem in the United States.
Under the leadership of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the Department of Transportation convened at least 19 federal agencies and departments to develop the Strategy. The result is a unified policy framework intended to foster innovation while maintaining the highest safety standards and avoiding fragmented or duplicative regulatory approaches.
The Strategy outlines a whole-of-government approach to shaping the future of air transportation, recognizing that AAM touches multiple domains—from aviation safety and national security to workforce development, environmental sustainability, and urban planning. By aligning agency priorities and establishing shared objectives, the federal government aims to accelerate progress while ensuring public trust and operational integrity.
Alignment with FAA and DOT Operational Initiatives
The release of the Strategy closely aligns with the Federal Aviation Administration’s and DOT’s plans to launch the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), expected to begin in 2026. The eIPP is designed to support early eVTOL use cases across the country before full FAA type certification, including validating operational routes, procedures, and community integration strategies.
Together, the Strategy and the eIPP provide both policy direction and practical operational pathways, allowing regulators, industry participants, and local communities to move forward in coordination. Joby has indicated that these initiatives create a clearer runway for early operations while maintaining regulatory rigor.
Joby’s Readiness to Engage on Key Strategic Priorities
Joby’s leadership believes the company’s advanced state of technical development, certification progress, and operational experience uniquely positions it to engage immediately with the Strategy’s core recommendations.
Leveraging Existing and Repurposed Infrastructure
One of the Strategy’s central themes is the near- and medium-term use of existing or repurposed infrastructure to support AAM operations. Rather than requiring extensive greenfield construction, the Strategy encourages the adaptation of current aviation and transportation assets, including airports, heliports, and underutilized urban facilities.
This approach closely mirrors Joby’s long-standing deployment philosophy. The company has consistently emphasized the importance of launching services using a combination of existing infrastructure and selectively developed vertiports, minimizing upfront capital requirements and accelerating time to market. By integrating with current transportation hubs, Joby aims to deliver practical, scalable air taxi services without waiting for a fully built-out AAM infrastructure network.
Data Sharing and Regulatory Collaboration
The Strategy also underscores the importance of robust data sharing between AAM operators and government agencies. Joby has been at the forefront of regulatory engagement and certification transparency within the eVTOL sector.
The company became the first eVTOL manufacturer to finalize its G-1 certification basis with the FAA, establishing the regulatory foundation for its aircraft’s type certification. Joby is now advancing through the final stages of validating the extensive design, manufacturing, and flight test data required for approval.
To date, Joby aircraft have flown more than 50,000 miles, including approximately 850 flights conducted during 2025 alone. These operations have included test flights within the U.S. National Airspace System, generating a substantial body of operational and safety data. This data, Joby says, will be critical to supporting the Strategy’s objectives and informing evidence-based regulatory decisions.
Workforce Development and Talent Pipelines
Workforce readiness is another cornerstone of the AAM National Strategy, recognizing that the success of next-generation aviation depends on a skilled and sustainable labor force. Joby has invested heavily in building an end-to-end AAM workforce in the United States, spanning manufacturing, flight operations, maintenance, and engineering.
The company employs more than 2,000 people globally and continues to expand its U.S.-based manufacturing footprint. Joby’s scaled production facility in Dayton, Ohio, and its pilot production line in Marina, California, are central to its strategy of vertically integrated manufacturing.
In parallel, Joby has developed apprenticeship programs and launched an aviation academy to train pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians specifically for eVTOL operations. These initiatives are designed to create long-term career pathways while addressing anticipated labor shortages in advanced aviation.
The Strategy’s emphasis on leveraging military experience and supporting workforce pipelines aligns closely with Joby’s dual-use technology development and its collaboration with U.S. defense stakeholders. The company believes that this alignment will help accelerate workforce readiness while enhancing national resilience.
Autonomy and Safety Leadership
The AAM Strategy also addresses the long-term role of autonomy in aviation, calling for the development of a clear roadmap that balances innovation with safety. Joby has been investing in autonomous capabilities for years, viewing autonomy as a means to enhance safety, reliability, and scalability over time.
Joby’s proprietary Superpilot™ autonomous flight technology has been validated over thousands of flight miles and provides valuable operational data to support the Strategy’s goals for increasingly automated operations. The company emphasizes that autonomy is being developed incrementally, with human oversight and rigorous safety validation at every stage.
In addition, Joby has participated in multiple high-fidelity simulations conducted with the FAA and NASA to demonstrate the integration of eVTOL operations into existing air traffic control procedures. These simulations focused on complex airspace environments around Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas Love Field, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, validating that eVTOL aircraft can operate safely alongside conventional traffic using today’s airspace management systems.
A Year of Global Validation and Testing
The Administration’s release of the AAM Strategy comes amid what Joby describes as an unprecedented period of validation for the company. During 2025, Joby’s flight test program expanded across three continents, demonstrating the aircraft’s versatility and readiness for diverse operating environments.
Notable milestones included public airport-to-airport demonstration flights in California, participation in the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, and extreme-environment testing in the United Arab Emirates. These activities showcased the aircraft’s performance in hot climates, dense urban airspace, and high-profile international settings.
As Joby’s aircraft advance into the final stages of FAA certification, the company is also preparing to launch pre-certification demonstration programs in 2026. These initiatives are expected to serve as a bridge between testing and commercial operations, allowing regulators, policymakers, and the public to gain hands-on experience with eVTOL services.
With certification nearing completion, pilot programs on the horizon, and a comprehensive federal policy framework now in place, Joby views 2026 as a potential inflection point for advanced air mobility in the United States.
The AAM National Strategy, combined with the eIPP and ongoing FAA collaboration, provides a level of clarity and coordination that has long been sought by the industry. For Joby, it reinforces confidence that the regulatory, operational, and policy environment is aligning with technological readiness.
As the United States positions itself to lead the next era of aviation, Joby believes that the convergence of innovation, regulation, and public-private collaboration will be essential. The company sees the Strategy not as an endpoint, but as a foundation upon which safe, scalable, and sustainable air mobility services can be built—bringing quiet, electric flight closer to everyday reality.
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