MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The company that is making air taxis here in Dayton said you’ll be able to order a ride on one of their aircraft later this year.
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However, you won’t be able to do it in the U.S. just yet.
News Center 7’s John Bedell talked to leaders in our area about this announcement.
On Wednesday, Joby announced it expects to carry its first passengers later this year in Dubai.
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“The significance for us is that it speeds up the need for aircraft,” Dave Burrows, with the Dayton Development Coalition, said.
Joby said those first customers in Dubai will book a ride on one of their electric air taxis through the Uber app.
That’s something the company told News Center 7 about during a visit to their offices in California last February.
Now Joby has put a more defined timeline on when and where that will be happening.
Here in the U.S., Joby is in the final stages of the FAA’s certification process.
They have to meet rigorous FAA standards to make sure the piloted aircraft are safe to carry paying passengers.
Burrows said that’s the next big step for Joby.
“So that’s the final phase that does take a while. And we think based off conversations with Joby that the approval will come at the end of 2026 or in early 2027,” Burrows said.
News Center 7 reached out to Joby today.
When we asked about starting service in their first U.S. markets, they said, “Stay tuned for updates on the timeline.”
But they added they’ve been laying the groundwork for that.
Joby said this includes a move we reported last month: they bought a second manufacturing facility here in Dayton, just down the road from the airport.
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