Joby Aviation has received a Part 141 certificate from the FAA for its flight academy, as well as FAA acceptance for its air operations voluntary safety management system (SMS) as established under Part 5.

The FAA Part 141 certificate enables the Joby Aviation Academy to deliver streamlined pilot training, enabling the company to efficiently and economically develop a pipeline of qualified pilots in advance of commercial air taxi operations.

As Joby prepares to launch commercial service, future aviators will be able to enrol in the academy’s full complement of courses, which will include private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, in preparation for a career at Joby or other air operators.

President of operations Bonny Simi comments: “We’re pleased to be ticking two more items off our operations checklist as we continue to lead the industry towards commercialisation of electric air taxis. As a former airline pilot, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing our flight academy grow in both courses and students in the coming years as we offer highly competitive prices and strong training curricula that position graduates for success in the industry.”

Joby is also advancing its safety culture having received acceptance from the FAA for its Part 5 air operations voluntary safety management system. While Part 135 operators have several years to comply with the FAA SMS mandate, Joby’s Part 135 operation achieved the milestone years ahead of the deadline. This SMS requirement for air taxi operators involves developing clear safety policies and procedures as well as a culture that prioritises safety and encourages team members to report safety concerns.

“We are also building a strong safety foundation for our planned operations with the FAA acceptance of our safety management system governing air operations under our Part 135 operation, Joby Elevate,” Simi adds.

The Part 141 certificate and Part 5 air operations SMS are requirements for Joby to launch its planned air taxi service, as presented by the company in June 2024 during a presentation entitled ‘Pre-Flight Checklist: an introduction to Joby air taxi operations’.

Joby's Part 5 air operations SMS is part of the company’s Enterprise SMS currently being developed, which will cover the aircraft, manufacturing, operations, maintenance and flight training, facilitating the exchange of information to continuously improve the safety of aircraft and operations.