Joby Aviation applies to UK CAA for type certification

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Joby Aviation has formally applied for certification for use in the UK. The application will allow Joby’s US certification to be concurrently validated by the UK’s CAA. The firm says it believes it is the first eVTOL developer to apply for foreign validation of its FAA type certificate.

Joby’s application builds on a joint statement by the FAA and CAA in March, to use the existing Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement to streamline the introduction of eVTOLs using existing regulatory frameworks. 

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby Aviation, said: “By working hand-in-hand on certification, the U.K. and the U.S. are setting the stage for these two countries to be amongst the earliest adopters of this important new technology.”

“We strongly believe that a collaborative approach to regulation helps to foster greater safety and accelerate the introduction of new technologies that benefit the public and the environment,” Bevirt added. “We’re incredibly excited about the potential for electric aerial ride-sharing to offer a new form of clean and affordable urban and regional connectivity across the U.K., where more than 80% of the population lives in, or near, cities.”

Type certification is a multi-year process which requires undertake rigorous testing and documentation across each aircraft system in order to prove the aircraft for commercial operations.