Advanced Air Mobility News

FAA Proposes Standards for Joby, Paving Way for Other eVTOLs

FAA Proposes Standards for Joby, Paving Way for Other eVTOLs

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled proposed standards for Joby Aviation’s eVTOL on 7 November, in a move that could see the aerospace company’s four-passenger eVTOL, dubbed the JAS4-1, inch toward gaining airworthiness certification.

The standards, which were outlined in an FAA document entitled Airworthiness Criteria: Special Class Airworthiness Criteria for the Joby Aero, Inc., describes the step Joby would take to receive agency approval, and gives the public and the industry a month to comment.

The announcement, first reported by Bloomberg, marks a significant milestone in Joby’s journey to obtaining certification for its eVTOL, and could potentially serve as a template for other eVTOL companies that are trying to achieve the same.

The FAA was scrutinized after announcing in May 2022 its choice to define eVTOLs as “powered lift” vehicles instead of the same regulations under Part 23 of the federal code using to certify conventional commercial aircraft, meaning that they have to be certified under special class rules.

On 2 November, Joby Aviation announced that it will delay the commercial launch of its eVTOL from 2024 to 2025, citing regulatory and internal reasons.

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