Photo: Joby Aviation
The day when 500 electric aircraft will be rolled out from this new facility in Dayton, Ohio, still seems like a distant dream, but Joby took the first bold step. The eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) company is currently hiring the personnel that will kick-start manufacturing.
In the fall of 2023, Joby announced that it had selected the location of its future manufacturing facility. It was Dayton, Ohio. A few months later, the eVTOL maker took the next step and bought an existing facility here instead of building a new one from scratch. The best part about it is its proximity to the Dayton International Airport. According to Joby, the facility building was underutilized, and it will now be revamped and repurposed.
Ultimately, this will become a high-tech hub capable of rolling out 500 aircraft per year. But first, Joby will begin by manufacturing titanium and aluminum aircraft parts, and it's already gathering up the human resources to do that. If things go according to plan, the modernized facility in Dayton will become operational before the end of this year.
This is not Joby's first or only manufacturing center. The company's pilot production line is located in Marina, California, and the Dayton hub is geared toward scaled manufacturing.
For the people of Dayton, Ohio, this new project means up to 2,000 jobs available in the near future. Money-wise, Joby is ready to pump up to $500 million into this manufacturing center.
Although impressive, Joby's manufacturing goal seems modest compared to another US-based eVTOL maker, the famous Archer Aviation, backed by Stellantis. Archer aims much higher in terms of volume, with plans for a whopping 2,000 aircraft per year capacity. This is the plan for its brand-new facility in Covington, Georgia. Even the estimated initial capacity is much higher than Joby's, aiming for 650 units per year. Archer's Covington center will initially unfold over 350,000 square feet (32,500 square meters) and gradually expand to 900,000 square feet (83,600 square meters).
Joby is now focusing on ramping up its manufacturing capabilities after accomplishing several industry firsts last year. One of the most impressive was the first flight of an eVTOL in New York City. It happened on November 12, 2023, when a Joby aircraft took off from the Manhattan heliport for an exhibition flight. As remarkable as that was, New York City dwellers will still have to wait more than one year until regular air taxi services are available.
Through the Delta-Joby partnership, the airline's customers flying in the New York area will be able to travel to and from the airport aboard a Joby air taxi. This five-seat eVTOL (the pilot plus four passengers) was designed to be compatible with short-distance flights (100 miles/160 km) on a single charge.
Ultimately, this will become a high-tech hub capable of rolling out 500 aircraft per year. But first, Joby will begin by manufacturing titanium and aluminum aircraft parts, and it's already gathering up the human resources to do that. If things go according to plan, the modernized facility in Dayton will become operational before the end of this year.
This is not Joby's first or only manufacturing center. The company's pilot production line is located in Marina, California, and the Dayton hub is geared toward scaled manufacturing.
For the people of Dayton, Ohio, this new project means up to 2,000 jobs available in the near future. Money-wise, Joby is ready to pump up to $500 million into this manufacturing center.
Although impressive, Joby's manufacturing goal seems modest compared to another US-based eVTOL maker, the famous Archer Aviation, backed by Stellantis. Archer aims much higher in terms of volume, with plans for a whopping 2,000 aircraft per year capacity. This is the plan for its brand-new facility in Covington, Georgia. Even the estimated initial capacity is much higher than Joby's, aiming for 650 units per year. Archer's Covington center will initially unfold over 350,000 square feet (32,500 square meters) and gradually expand to 900,000 square feet (83,600 square meters).
Joby is now focusing on ramping up its manufacturing capabilities after accomplishing several industry firsts last year. One of the most impressive was the first flight of an eVTOL in New York City. It happened on November 12, 2023, when a Joby aircraft took off from the Manhattan heliport for an exhibition flight. As remarkable as that was, New York City dwellers will still have to wait more than one year until regular air taxi services are available.
Through the Delta-Joby partnership, the airline's customers flying in the New York area will be able to travel to and from the airport aboard a Joby air taxi. This five-seat eVTOL (the pilot plus four passengers) was designed to be compatible with short-distance flights (100 miles/160 km) on a single charge.
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