Joby Aviation Inc. (JOBY) is moving aggressively to turn electric air taxis from sci-fi fantasy into something you might actually book for your airport run. The company just announced a partnership with Metropolis Technologies to build out 25 vertiports across the United States, and the timing suggests they're betting regulators are finally ready to let these things fly commercially.
Here's the clever part: instead of breaking ground on expensive new facilities, Joby and Metropolis plan to adapt existing parking properties. They'll use compact vertiport designs that meet safety requirements while leveraging Metropolis's AI-powered recognition systems to connect air travel with ground transportation. The idea is to make boarding an air taxi feel as seamless as grabbing an Uber, with computer vision handling access and payments.
This infrastructure push comes as Joby ramps up production in a serious way. The company is doubling its U.S. manufacturing capacity to support output of four aircraft per month over the next two years. That's not just ambitious talk either. Joby has disclosed potential aircraft and service sales that could top $1 billion, which suggests someone out there is actually planning to buy these things.
Washington Is Paying Attention
The regulatory environment is finally starting to cooperate. The federal government launched an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program back in September, designed to accelerate early commercial operations. More recently, a presidential executive order directed the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to enable mature eVTOL service in select markets as early as next year, even before full certification is complete.
That's a big deal. Regulatory approval has been the bottleneck for this entire industry, and the government seems to be signaling it's ready to let companies start proving the concept in real-world conditions.
Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt clearly thinks this is a turning point. "We are entering the next golden age of aviation," he said, which is exactly the kind of thing you say when you believe the pieces are finally falling into place.
The company isn't putting all its eggs in the domestic basket either. Joby signed an agreement with Red Sea Global and The Helicopter Company to conduct pre-commercial flights in Saudi Arabia. And they've partnered with Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) to develop their Superpilot autonomous flight system, because apparently flying taxis need cutting-edge AI too.
JOBY Price Action: Joby Aviation shares were up 6.10% at $14.00 at the time of publication on Thursday.
