First Joby Aviation TIA Aircraft Being Assembled In another step that brings Joby Aviation closer to getting their eVTOL certified and into service, the airframer has now their first conforming aircraft that will serve as a Type Inspection Authorization specimen. This is highly important to commence conforming certification testing. Joby expects to start flying the TIA aircraft later this year ahead of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilots who are expected to fly the aircraft early in 2026.
The California-based company made the announcement on August 6th when they held their financial meeting for 2nd quarter performance. At the end of the second quarter for this year Joby Aviation had a reported $991 million in cash and short-term investments. The company had a net loss of approximately $324.7 million. Joby Aviation benefitted from financial injection from Toyota as well in the quarter. In October, 2024 the automotive manufacturer said it would invest half a billion into Joby. So the $250 million injection is the realization of half that investment so far.
"The [TIA] aircraft is nearly identical to the aircraft that we’ve been flying before," said Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt during the results call. "This is the culmination of more than a decade of hard work from the Joby team and close collaboration with the FAA in order to build this aircraft." The one in assembly is just the first TIA example but Joby will need 5 specimens to complete the certification testing the FAA requires. Joby has already been manufacturing parts for all five of those test aircraft. The TIA flights, Bevirt said, "are the flights that the FAA pilots fly to confirm that we are compliant. And that’s what gives us points on the board for stage [phase] five, and once those are complete, then we’re in the final stretch of stage five and type certification."
Joby has completed approximately 70 percent of the phase four certification requirements, according to Bevirt. "The remaining 30 percent will come in over the next year or so, as we progress the final pieces. But I want to be clear that we do not need to be at 100 percent on stage four prior to beginning the TIA work. Some of those stage four pieces are not required for the TIA flight test. We’re at a very, very strong place, both on the Joby side and on the FAA side, to deliver on our goals of beginning the TIA flight test with FAA pilots on board early next year. The momentum is just absolutely phenomenal. And we’re so grateful to the FAA for the incredible lean-in that they’ve shown for many quarters in a row here, just going above and beyond." For more information: Joby Aviation 333 Encinal Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, U.S.A. www.jobyaviation.com ***
