Joby Inks ‘Vertiport’ Agreement for Flying Taxi Landing Sites in 4 States
Moving another step to the creation of a flying taxi industry, Dayton manufacturer Joby Aviation Inc. has announced an agreement to build an American “vertiport” network with a Los Angeles company.
Joby announced plans with Atoms, an infrastructure company, to acquire and develop vertiport sites, at first in California, Florida, New York, and Texas — the markets where Joby hopes to launch early operations under a White House program supporting electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, the craft Joby makes.
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Joby said its aircraft — which it is building in California and in a facility outside Dayton International Airport — is approaching commercial readiness and certification by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Piloted flights across the San Francisco Bay area and New York City have demonstrated its operational capability,” Joby said in a release Tuesday, Aug. 4. “As air taxis move from certification to early operations, the constraint will shift to the ground: aircraft will need places to land, charge, and connect passengers to the rest of their journey.”
This agreement is a step toward building that needed infrastructure, Joby said.
Asked about the possibility of an Ohio vertiport, a Joby spokeswoman said: “This is a phased program, and today’s announcement represents the initial phase.
“We would welcome the opportunity to bring a site to Ohio, but we are not announcing anything at this time,” she said.
“Smart cities require innovative real estate and infrastructure development,” Travis Kalanick, founder and chief executive of Atoms, said in Joby’s statement. “As new transport modes and smart city services become available, designing and deploying a new asset class to support them is critical. We’re focused on serving city stakeholders with inspired, efficient buildouts that deliver great experiences for residents and communities alike.”
Joby makes its aircraft in Marina, Calif., with propeller blades being made in a former U.S. Postal Service sorting center near Dayton International Airport. The blades are then sent to California for final assembly.
But Joby has longer-term Dayton plans. The company earlier this year bought a 700,000-square-foot building off Capstone Drive in Vandalia, with plans to anchor aircraft assembly work there next year.
Shares of Joby (NYSE: JOBY) rose 59 cents Tuesday to $7.97, an 8% rise.
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