Joby Aviation has entered the final phase of certification for its electric air taxi, having conducted its first FAA testing under Type Inspection Authorisation (TIA). The testing involved pilots from the FAA evaluating human factor elements of flight safety using an FAA-conforming flight deck in a Joby simulator.

TIA testing is considered the final phase of the type certification process, and paves the way for an aircraft to begin commercial passenger operations. The phase involves FAA test pilots conducting testing to validate an aircraft’s performance and safety in accordance with previously-approved certification test plans.

“This milestone demonstrates Joby’s continued industry leadership and is a reflection of the maturity of our test programme and the rigorous company testing we’ve already completed,” says CEO and founder JoeBen Bevirt. “As well as continuing the ‘for credit’ testing of components, aerostructures and systems that is already underway, we are targeting the start of TIA flight testing in 2025 with our first FAA-conforming aircraft, which is currently being built at our facility in Marina, California.”

The tests were conducted according to a set of criteria outlined in an FAA-approved human factors certification test plan and measured pilot workload under various expected flight conditions and physical ergonomics of the flight deck, as well as other human factors aspects of aircraft safety. Four FAA test pilots completed three days of TIA testing during the engagement.

Joby has also successfully completed static load testing on the FAA-conforming tail structure of the aircraft, marking the first time the company had tested a major aerostructure for FAA credit.

Joby is the first eVTOL manufacturer to complete three of five stages of the FAA type certification programme and is more than 40 per cent complete with work for the fourth stage.