MARINA – Joby Aviation, the company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service including at its plant in Marina, has received certification for its pilot training, in addition to having its voluntary safety management system accepted.
Joby received a Part 141 certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for its flight academy which enables it to deliver streamlined pilot training, enabling Joby Aviation to efficiently and economically develop a pipeline to qualified pilots in advance of commercial air taxi operations, and Joby received acceptance from the FAA for its Part 5 air operations voluntary Safety Management System, the company announced on Tuesday.
The Part 141 certificate and Part 5 air operations Safety Management System are requirements for Joby to launch its planned air taxi service, as presented by the company in June 2024 during a presentation titled “Pre-Flight Checklist: An Introduction to Joby Air Taxi Operations.”
“We’re pleased to be ticking two more items off our operations checklist as we continue to lead the industry towards commercialization of electric air taxis,” said Joby President of Operations, Bonny Simi in a press release. “As a former airline pilot, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing our Flight Academy grow in both courses and students in the coming years as we offer highly competitive prices and strong training curricula that position graduates for success in the industry.”
As Joby prepares to launch commercial air taxi service, future aviators will be able to enroll in Joby Aviation Academy’s full complement of courses, which will include private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, in preparation for a career at Joby Aviation or other air operators, said the company.
Joby said it is also advancing its safety culture by receiving acceptance from the Federal Aviation Administration for its Part 5 air operations voluntary Safety Management System. While Part 135 operators have several years to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Management System mandate, Joby’s Part 135 operation achieved the milestone years ahead of the deadline. This SMS requirement for air taxi operators involves developing clear safety policies and procedures as well as a culture that prioritizes safety and encourages team members to report safety concerns.
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“We are also building a strong safety foundation for our planned operations with the FAA acceptance of our Safety Management System governing air operations under our Part 135 operation, Joby Elevate,” Simi added in the release.
Joby’s Part 5 air operations Safety Management System is part of the company’s Enterprise SMS currently being developed, which will cover the aircraft, manufacturing, operations, maintenance and flight training, facilitating the exchange of information to continuously improve the safety of Joby’s aircraft and operations.
The Joby electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.
Joby Aviation has been doing business and developing a manufacturing facility in Marina for about the past seven years where it launched production of its aircraft at its Pilot Production Plant with the first aircraft rolling off the line in June 2023.
In April, Joby broke ground on its new 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Marina, expecting to begin operations in 2025 and more than doubling its footprint while enabling the company to deliver 25 aircraft a year. The second production prototype aircraft to roll off the company’s pilot production line was the backdrop for the ground-breaking ceremony.
The aviation company has testing facilities, which include its integrated test lab and its flight-testing capabilities, in Marina.
Joby is developing a world-class manufacturing facility in Marina and has offices and workshops in Santa Cruz – where the company is headquartered, San Carlos, Washington, D.C. and Munich, Germany.
