Joby Aviation has become the first developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to complete the third of five stages of the Federal Aviation Administration type certification process, according to the company.

During the third stage of the process, Joby submitted certification plans that cover all of the aircraft’s structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, as well as the company’s intended certification approach to cybersecurity, human factors, and noise.

These certification plans, which detail the tests and analyses that Joby will use to certify every aspect of its aircraft for commercial use, have now all been reviewed and accepted by the FAA, laying the groundwork for Joby to submit test plans and begin for-credit testing across every area of the Company’s aircraft program.

Joby is now fully focused on the fourth stage of the certification process, where the company will complete tests and analysis for FAA credit covering every component and system on the Joby aircraft – as well as the entire aircraft itself.

“With all of our certification plans accepted by the FAA, we are now completely focused on the execution phase of the certification process. We have a clear path to certifying every aspect of our aircraft, and the team is full steam ahead on executing against that path as we continue to lead the industry to commercialization,” said Didier Papadopoulos, President of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Joby completed 30 for-credit tests covering a number of flight electronics units as well as structural materials. The testing methods and processes validated through these tests lay the foundation for the company’s continued expansion of FAA for-credit testing.

Joby also recently received its Part 145 Repair Station Certificate from the FAA, allowing the company to perform select maintenance activities on aircraft and marking another key step on the path to commercializing Joby’s electric air taxi service.