Joby Aviation expects to conduct its first flights under the US eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) in September 2026, with the initial operations taking place in Texas, the company said on August 5, 2026, alongside its second quarter results.
The California-based manufacturer maintained its target of carrying its first passengers before the end of 2026.
Texas first under the White House-backed program
The eIPP was established by presidential executive order, and its first eight projects were selected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the US Department of Transportation on March 9, 2026, spanning 26 states.
The program allows participants to operate aircraft that have not yet received type certification, under agreements negotiated directly with the FAA, in order to generate operational data to inform future rulemaking.
Joby was named in several winning applications, giving it access to early operations in 10 states. The Texas project, led by the Texas Department of Transportation, also involves Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies and Wisk, and is intended to link Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, and eventually Houston.
Strongest quarter yet in Stage 5
Joby described the period as its strongest quarterly progress so far in the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification. The company entered that stage on March 11, 2026, when it began flight testing N547JX, its first conforming aircraft built to a design approved for Type Inspection Authorization.
Five aircraft are now flying and another 12 are in production, with two further deliveries planned during 2026. The manufacturing ramp, split between California and Ohio, is being reinforced through the joint venture Joby announced with Toyota on June 30, 2026, which is intended to prepare commercial-scale production of the S4.
Revenue guidance raised
Joby reported $36.2 million in second quarter revenue from Blade, the helicopter operator it acquired in 2025, and raised its full year 2026 revenue outlook to between $115 million and $125 million. It held $2.3 billion in cash and short-term investments on June 30, 2026, and expects to use between $385 million and $415 million in the second half of the year.
The company also announced on August 4, 2026, a partnership with Atoms, the industrial AI and infrastructure firm founded by Travis Kalanick, to develop multimodal transport hubs across its US launch markets.
Founder and chief executive JoeBen Bevirt said progress on certification, partnerships, infrastructure and commercial readiness was turning electric vertical flight “from an extraordinary technology into an everyday reality.”