Joby Aviation Is Flying Routes Across Dallas-Fort Worth. Here's How Close It Is to Paying Passengers.
Key Points
Joby Aviation has launched flight demonstrations of its eVTOL aircraft in three major locations this year.
The demonstrations at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport have given the FAA valuable real-world data.
Joby aims to put passengers in the air before the end of 2026 -- a milestone that would please investors.
Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) is on a roll. Or should I say ... gaining altitude?
Puns aside, Joby kicked off its long-awaited electric air taxi demonstrations across Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, this month, including routes into the airspace of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. This follows demonstrations that Joby has conducted in other major areas, namely the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City.
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Image source: Joby Aviation.
These flights are not, to be sure, commercial. Joby isn't booking revenue from them.
At the same time, they serve a major purpose for the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry. The Dallas-Fort Worth airport is one of the country's busiest hubs, making it an ideal testing ground for whether eVTOLs can coexist with other aircraft in a crowded sky. This, in turn, will give the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) valuable data to help it create safety rules that eVTOL companies need to start flying paying passengers.
That said, Joby has not set a firm date for launching commercial eVTOL services. The company stated in its second-quarter shareholder letter that it continues to "target carrying our first passengers in 2026." Whether those will be paying passengers or not has not been specified. But if Joby does carry riders in 2026 -- paying or not -- it would be a clear signal that commercial eVTOL services could be near.
Steven Porrello has positions in Joby Aviation. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.