Joby Announces ‘ElevateOS’ Software Suite for Air Taxi Operations
Joby Aviation announced the FAA authorization of its in-house software suite 'ElevateOS' for on-demand air taxi operations. The suite includes pilot tools, operations management, a rider app, and a matching engine. Joby has been testing the software for two years, leveraging its Part 135 certification. The company plans commercial operations by 2025, including partnerships with Delta Air Lines and exclusive services in Dubai. Joby will also support direct sales to business and government customers. ElevateOS aims to offer efficient, seamless, and high-tempo air taxi services.
- FAA authorization for 'ElevateOS' software suite.
- Comprehensive two-year real-world testing completed.
- Planned commercial operations by 2025.
- Partnerships with Delta Air Lines and exclusive services in Dubai.
- Direct sales to business customers and potential government partners.
- No immediate revenue generation from ElevateOS.
- Operational and regulatory risks in launching commercial services by 2025.
Insights
The introduction of Joby's ElevateOS software suite signifies a major advancement in the air taxi industry. The FAA authorization ensures that Joby's proprietary technology meets stringent safety and operational standards. This is a substantial step forward in Joby's mission to offer on-demand air taxi services.
ElevateOS includes an operations core, a pilot app and a rider app, drawing parallels to the ride-hailing apps we use today. However, it's tailored for aviation, requiring robust and reliable software due to the stakes involved. The integration of an intelligent matching engine to pair passengers with aircraft optimizes efficiency, similar to Uber's model but with added complexity due to air travel.
Real-world testing over the past two years underscores Joby's commitment to ensuring the software's reliability. This comprehensive system will be pivotal in managing high-tempo operations, a necessity for the ambitious commercial service launch in 2025. The implications for stakeholders are significant, as the successful implementation of this technology can lead to a decrease in operational costs and an increase in customer satisfaction through streamlined services.
From a short-term perspective, the certification enhances Joby's credibility and positions it as a leader in the nascent air taxi market. In the long-term, it offers scalable solutions potentially applicable to other operators, fostering broader adoption of air taxis and solidifying Joby's market presence.
Joby's FAA authorization for its ElevateOS is a positive development for the company's financial outlook. FAA certification is not only a regulatory milestone but a significant value proposition for investors. It demonstrates Joby's capability to meet high safety and operational standards, which is important for gaining investor confidence and attracting future funding.
This development also suggests a robust revenue model. By making ElevateOS available to partners who purchase their aircraft, Joby opens a new revenue stream through software licensing and support services. This could provide a steady income regardless of the adoption pace of their air taxis.
In terms of financial metrics, the diversified revenue through both air taxi services and software solutions could mitigate risks and stabilize cash flows. Given the planned commercial service launch in 2025, investors may see a gradual build-up in revenue as pilot training, maintenance programs and infrastructure partnerships commence.
Overall, the certification could lead to enhanced investor sentiment and potentially a positive impact on Joby's stock price in the short-term. In the long-term, the scalability of their software and operational efficiency could drive sustained growth and profitability.
- Joby has developed proprietary software to support revolutionary high-tempo, on-demand air taxi operations
- Software suite has undergone real-world testing over the past two years, leveraging Joby’s Part 135 certification
- Joby’s President of Operations, Bonny Simi, and Chief Product Officer, Eric Allison, to present a ‘Pre-Flight Checklist’ for commercial service
Joby’s proprietary ElevateOS air taxi software system includes an operations core, a pilot app, and a consumer-friendly rider app, from left to right, all of which have been FAA-authorized for use by Joby’s Part 135 organization. Joby Aviation Image
The ElevateOS operating system, which will be introduced during a virtual presentation later today, includes pilot tools, operations and schedule management software, a mobile-first rider app, and an intelligent matching engine. The matching engine is similar to those used by ride-hailing apps today and pairs passengers with available aircraft and landing infrastructure to deliver journeys that are as efficient as possible. Joby plans to use ElevateOS to support its own air taxi operations, as well as making it available to selected partners who purchase the aircraft, as part of a wider services package.
During today’s presentation, Joby will cover a range of other preparations it is making to support the launch of commercial air taxi operations as soon as 2025, including pilot training and the simulation of its planned air taxi service using a conventional aircraft that carries the same number of passengers as Joby’s aircraft. Utilizing a Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate granted by the Federal Aviation Administration more than two years ago, Joby has already been able to use its ElevateOS software to test core aspects of its planned operations, by:
- Offering Joby team members a true, on-demand passenger service, enabling them to book flights with free choice of timing, origin and destination, using the Joby rider app
- Matching passengers with similar routes to each other, using automation tools
- Taking payments from Joby team members and external customers for whole-aircraft chartered flights
- Integrating the use of the Joby pilot app, rider app and back-end operational software
Joby has been actively developing and testing these software tools, in-house, since acquiring Uber Elevate, the air taxi division of Uber in 2021. In 2019, Uber Elevate launched and ran UberCopter, the world’s first on-demand, multi-modal air taxi service in
“The air taxi service we plan to deliver isn’t like any sort of air travel that’s existed before. We expect travelers to book on-demand and to be boarding an aircraft just minutes later, much like the experience of using ground-based ridesharing today. That required us to totally rethink the software and the operations of these aircraft,” said Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer at Joby and former Head of Uber Elevate. “We’ve built ElevateOS from the ground up to enable high-tempo, on-demand flights that will deliver true time savings and seamless mobility to customers.
“ElevateOS is the result of many years of iteration and real-life experience and we’re confident it is the most sophisticated, efficient, and flexible suite of air operations tools available today.”
Today’s presentation will also cover a range of other activities Joby is undertaking to prepare for operations, including:
Training Electric Air Taxi Pilots: Joby has developed an aircraft-specific training course that prepares qualified commercial pilots to fly the Joby aircraft in about six weeks. The course includes the use of immersive flight simulation training devices being developed in partnership with CAE, a global leader in aviation training. Additionally, Joby has already begun offering private pilot training and ground school as part of its future pilot training academy.
Building the Maintenance Workforce of the Future: Joby received its Part 145 Maintenance Certificate earlier this year and is developing a comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) strategy to ensure maximum aircraft utilization in markets around the globe. Joby received a
Implementing Rigorous Safety Systems: Joby was the first electric air taxi company to have a Safety Management System accepted into the FAA’s Voluntary Program for Air Operations, supporting the Company’s Part 135 operations. It was also the first air taxi company to be awarded the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations Stage 1 Certification, administered by the International Business Aviation Council, following a safety audit in 2023.
“We are leading the industry in the certification and manufacturing of our electric air taxi as well as in our preparations for commercial service,” said Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby. “This is rigorous work that is required for any company to provide efficient and seamless air taxi operations, and many of these items have been years in the making.”
Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.
Joby intends to operate its aircraft in the
Today’s presentation will be available via the Upcoming Events section of the Company’s investor website. A replay of the event will be available online for a limited time.
About Joby
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a
Forward Looking Statements
This press release 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, the growth of our manufacturing capabilities, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing, including our expectation to start commercial air taxi operations as soon as 2025, the expected timing of type certification; our planned operations with the Department of Defense; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; plans for, and potential benefits of, our strategic partnerships; the markets in which we expect to operate or sell our aircraft; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations, including the expected benefits of our vertically-integrated business model. 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 operating or financial performance or other 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; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; 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, 2024, 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 release. 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.
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FAQ
What is Joby's ElevateOS?
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