Joby Aviation has completed the second of four system reviews required by the FAA as part of the company's aircraft type certification programme.

The successful completion of the in-person, multi-day audit by the FAA last week at Joby's facilities in Marina, California demonstrates the company's continued leadership on the path to certifying its revolutionary eVTOL aircraft.

The series of system reviews serve to validate the overall architecture of the aircraft and ensure the company's development process is on track to satisfy the FAA's safety objectives associated with complex aircraft systems. The system reviews take place alongside the ongoing submission of means of compliance, area-specific certification plans and other certification documents that cover specific elements of the Joby aircraft and its systems.

In September, during its third quarter results call, the company said that 84 per cent of its means of compliance had been accepted by the FAA, with four area-specific certification plans submitted for approval. Earlier this year, it completed its first systems and compliance reviews and carried out its first for-credit FAA conformity tests.

"Progress on certification is a key area of focus for this nascent sector, and we're pleased to mark our continued leadership with the successful completion of our second system review. We're confident that our aircraft design is on track to meet the FAA's expectations regarding system-level safety, redundancy and overall aircraft architecture,” says head of aircraft OEM Didier Papadopoulos “We're grateful to the FAA for its dedication to safety and deep engagement on our ongoing certification programme.”

In May, Joby received its Part 135 air carrier certificate from the FAA, enabling the company to operate a commercial air taxi service in the US. Joby intends to certify its aircraft in time to commence commercial passenger service in 2025.