US Electric Air Taxi Inches Closer to Takeoff

Joby Aviation completes Stage 4 of FAA type certification, putting the US closer to its first certified electric air taxi

9 Apr 2026

Joby Aviation has completed Stage 4 of the Federal Aviation Administration's five-stage type certification process for its S4 electric air taxi, marking the most advanced compliance milestone reached by any eVTOL manufacturer operating in US airspace. The FAA confirmed the clearance in late March 2026.

Stage 4 covers propulsion system reliability and fly-by-wire redundancy. It also confirms that the aircraft's production hardware matches the design specifications the FAA has reviewed throughout the certification process.

No other eVTOL applicant has reached an equivalent stage under Part 21 type certificate rules. Archer Aviation, the next closest US competitor, remains at Stage 3. The FAA's eVTOL certification framework, built on the powered-lift special federal aviation regulation published in late 2024 and an advisory circular issued in July 2025, now governs both programmes, giving the industry a defined regulatory target for the first time.

Stage 4 clearance does not authorise commercial service. One formal gate remains: Stage 5 compliance flight testing, conducted under direct FAA oversight, after which a type certificate can be issued. Final issuance is estimated for late 2026, though the agency has said schedules depend on applicant performance and the resolution of any open compliance findings. Aviation analysts have noted that Joby's progress establishes the regulatory precedent every subsequent applicant must meet.

Even with a type certificate secured, commercial operations will require additional approvals. Operators must obtain Part 135 air carrier certificates. Purpose-built landing infrastructure remains largely absent across US cities, with no American municipality having issued a construction permit for a commercial vertiport as of late March 2026. Infrastructure, not certification, may yet prove the harder constraint.