SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced that it has completed a training program with the U.S. Air Force covering the maintenance of Joby’s electric aircraft.

The maintenance training program, which trained several U.S. Air Force service members including a flight test pilot and aircraft maintainers, on the specifics of inspecting and maintaining Joby’s electric aircraft, was completed as part of the Company’s existing contract with AFWERX Agility Prime.

The four-week program took place at Joby’s flight test and manufacturing facilities in Marina, California, and was based on the Aircraft Maintenance Manual developed by Joby as part of the Company’s ongoing work towards aircraft type certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”). The program included classroom instruction as well as hands-on completion of inspections and pre-flight checks on Joby’s production prototype aircraft.

“We’re pleased to have successfully completed another engagement with the U.S. Air Force, providing the government with a technical overview of electric aircraft maintenance operations while we received feedback from experienced service members to further hone our in-house maintenance training program,” said Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby.

In April 2023, Joby announced that four U.S. Air Force pilots had completed pilot training and become the first Air Force personnel to fly an electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft as sole remote pilot-in-command through the full flight envelope, including transition from vertical to wingborne flight.

The Joby electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.

About Joby

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.

About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX

As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,200 new contracts worth more than $4.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.