Joby and Saudi Arabia’s GACA Announce eVTOL Rapid Deployment Plans
Saudi Arabia‘s GACA and Joby Aviation have partnered to deploy electric air taxis in the Kingdom. Utilizing FAA certification standards as a foundation, this collaboration aims to establish a streamlined regulatory framework for safe and efficient AAM operations. The initiative supports Saudi Arabia‘s broader aviation strategy and marks it as a key global launch market. The article is provided by our media partner Urban Air Mobility.
Joby Aviation and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have announced plans for the rapid deployment of Joby's electric air taxi in the Kingdom. "A new memorandum of understanding between GACA and Joby will use Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification standards as a foundation to create a streamlined approval process for Joby's aircraft in Saudi Arabia, positioning the Kingdom at the forefront of advanced air mobility," said Joby in a press release. "Saudi Arabia joins the U.S., the U.K., Japan, South Korea and the UAE as another key launch market for Joby's air taxi service."
"We've been collaborating with the FAA since 2016 on the certification and the commercial operations of our aircraft, and we're now putting those standards to work on a global scale," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. "We look forward to partnering with GACA on this bold endeavour: to bring quiet, fast and convenient air mobility to Saudi Arabia."
"This partnership represents a critical step in advancing the Kingdom's AAM ambitions. Our focus is not only on bringing future technologies to Saudi Arabia, but on building the knowledge and know-how required to sustain them. By localizing key elements of manufacturing and developing highly qualified national talent, we are creating an ecosystem that enables innovation to thrive. Supported by a robust and forward-looking regulatory framework, this initiative reinforces the Kingdom's leadership in shaping the future of aviation, in alignment with the AAM roadmap derived from the Aviation Programme in the National Transport and Logistics Strategy" said Captain Sulaiman bin Saleh Al-Muhaimedi, Executive Vice President of Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability at (GACA).
To support the development of the Kingdom's air taxi regulatory framework, Joby and GACA will focus on three core initiatives based on Joby's FAA certification efforts:
Provide technical expertise across type design, production, and operational domains to inform the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework that ensures the safe, efficient, and scalable deployment of advanced air mobility aircraft within the Kingdom.
Collaboration on airworthiness standards, ensuring an efficient validation process of the FAA Type Certification.
Development and harmonization of key regulations to enable the initial phase of operations, including pilot licensing, maintenance, and airspace integration frameworks.
In the U.S., Joby is nearing the final phase of FAA Type Certification, which involves FAA test pilots directly assessing the aircraft's performance and safety, said the company. Globally, Joby was deeply engaged in the development of the NAA Network's five-nation roadmap, which aims to create global certification standards for advanced air mobility.
Joby's broader commercialization strategy in Saudi Arabia includes key partnerships with Abdul Latif Jameel, which is exploring delivery of up to 200 Joby aircraft valued at approximately USD1 billion, and Aloula Aviation (formerly Mukamalah Aviation), the aviation subsidiary of Saudi Aramco. The announcement also builds on the renewed economic partnership between the U.S. administration and the Saudi government following U.S. President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in May of this year.
