Joby Aviation, Alatau Advance Air Group (AAAG), the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Vyacheslav Kim have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth $250 million for the delivery of Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The aim is to create an urban air mobility system for Alatau City, a planned smart city development near Almaty.

The agreement includes pre-delivery payments and sets the foundation for certification and demonstration flights before commercial operations begin. It also covers collaboration on sourcing critical materials such as titanium and rare earth metals from Kazakhstan for Joby’s aircraft production.

Zhaslan Madiev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, says: “Kazakhstan is taking a bold step toward the future of innovative transport. The acquisition of electric eVTOL aircraft marks an important milestone in the development of smart cities and the implementation of breakthrough technologies.”

JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and founder of Joby Aviation, says: “We’re executing our proven strategy to enter new markets by working hand-in-hand with both government stakeholders and a strong regional operating partner to accelerate our path to commercial operations in Kazakhstan.”

Sergey Khegai, CEO of Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd, says: “Our mission is to bring the vision of urban air mobility to life in Kazakhstan, starting with the new smart city of Alatau and the metropolis of Almaty.”

According to Vyacheslav Kim, a member of the Alatau City Development Council, around $400 million of private capital will fund the overall urban air mobility project, covering aircraft procurement, infrastructure and regulatory development.