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By Greg Bowles, Head of Government Policy
For the first time in 70 years – since the very dawn of the jet age – a new class of aircraft is poised to redefine our relationship with the sky. Not only is it a feat of engineering, but it's a testament to global cooperation. Today, that future took a monumental step forward with the announcement of a five-country roadmap by the National Aviation Authority (NAA) Network to collaborate on the efficient certification of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft, with Joby Aviation at the forefront of this unprecedented global effort.
Breaking Through Borders: The Global Challenge of New Flight
The jet age brought incredible speed and connectivity for longer distances, but humanity yearns for something different: a future where flight is woven into our daily lives, quiet, emission-free, and seamlessly integrated into our communities. That's the promise of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and Joby Aviation is bringing this revolutionary new type of aircraft to the world.
In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) meticulously certifies every aspect of a new design, ensuring it can operate safely in various conditions. Just as the U.S. has these rigorous requirements, every nation has its own aviation authority. Differences in certification standards can make it difficult to share groundbreaking technology with new markets.
Joby recognized this challenge early. When we began our formal certification journey with the FAA in 2018, we simultaneously engaged with key countries worldwide. Our goal was clear: ensure that the pioneering safety work we conducted with the FAA would help set a global standard, minimizing duplication and accelerating acceptance. We applied to have our FAA certification efforts validated in crucial markets like the UK, Japan, and Australia.
The NAA Network: A United Front for the Future of Flight
Recognizing the need for a unified approach to these transformative aircraft, a visionary group of leading aviation authorities formed the National Aviation Authority (NAA) Network in 2022. Their mission: to standardize the certification of eVTOLs, ensuring that a new era of flight could emerge safely and efficiently across international borders.
Today's announcement marks the culmination of their foresight and dedication. This landmark five-country roadmap unites Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA in a shared commitment to collaborate on AAM aircraft certification. It is a powerful demonstration of mutual trust and unprecedented cooperation, proving that the skies can indeed be truly global.
Unlocking a Global Transformation: Joby's Role in a Seamless Future
For Joby Aviation, this collaboration under the NAA Network is another opportunity to lead the sector. It means that once our aircraft receives its FAA certification, it can be more seamlessly adopted across these regions. This significantly simplifies the export and operation of our aircraft in international markets, dramatically accelerating the worldwide adoption of next-generation aviation technology.
As our founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt affirmed at this year’s Paris Air Show, "Today’s milestone fundamentally underpins our approach to bringing our aircraft to markets around the world. We applaud these authorities for their efforts to coalesce around a common approach to approving eVTOL in their respective countries. We’re grateful to the founding members of the NAA Network for their vision and for making this initiative a reality."
We've been engaging with regulators worldwide, educating officials from the U.K., Japan, and Australia at our California facilities, and welcoming a Canadian delegation to witness our flight tests. From exhibition flights in New York City and Shizuoka, Japan, to being the first eVTOL developer to fly in South Korea’s K-UAM Grand Challenge, and planning future operations in places like Dubai, where we will be conducting test flights later this summer. Joby is not just waiting for the future; we are actively shaping it, working hand-in-hand with global partners.
The NAA Network's bold step today means that the quiet, clean, and accessible future of air mobility is not just coming; it's being built, collaboratively, across the globe. This is truly the dawn of a new age in aviation.
Forward-Looking Statements
This post contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing, including type certification and validation in other countries and plans to begin flight testing in Dubai later this summer. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; complexities related to obtaining certification and operating in foreign markets; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; and other important factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 27, 2025, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 8, 2205, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates and beliefs as of the date of this post. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.