Joby Aviation's shares surge due to Blade acquisition and plans for commercial rollout of electric air taxis
Joby Aviation Steps Up Production and Expansion Plans
Joby Aviation, the electric air taxi company, is making significant strides in its mission to revolutionize urban air mobility (UAM) services worldwide. The company's latest moves include the acquisition of Blade Air Mobility's passenger business, progress in FAA certification, defense sector partnerships, and global expansion plans.
Integration and Expansion through Blade Acquisition
In August 2025, Joby announced its acquisition of Blade’s passenger business for up to $125 million. This acquisition brings immediate access to Blade’s urban terminals, premium infrastructure, and a loyal customer base of over 50,000 passengers flown in 2024. With Blade's strong presence in key urban corridors such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Southern Europe, Joby can bypass the costly and time-consuming process of building new infrastructure from scratch. Blade passenger operations will continue under Joby as a wholly owned subsidiary led by Blade’s founder and CEO Rob Wiesenthal.
FAA Certification Progress
Joby is approximately 70% through the FAA certification process for its eVTOL aircraft. The company has demonstrated critical technical milestones such as the first eVTOL flight between U.S. airports under FAA control and operational integration with traditional air traffic. Joby anticipates beginning Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) flights with FAA pilots in early 2026 and targets full certification by that year. This regulatory progress is a major step toward commercial passenger service launch and is complemented by international cooperation with regulatory bodies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.K. to harmonize standards for global operations.
Defense Sector Partnerships
Joby is expanding its revenue base by partnering with defense contractors such as L3Harris, targeting military and defense applications of eVTOL technology. This partnership adds over $100 million in contract potential, diversifying Joby’s portfolio beyond commercial urban air mobility and positioning the company to participate in a $10 billion+ defense and UAM market post-certification.
Production Scaling and Financial Position
Joby is ramping production capacity aiming to build 500 aircraft annually. The company holds nearly $1 billion in cash reserves as of mid-2025, which supports both manufacturing scale-up and marketing/commercial launch efforts in multiple global markets. Joby expects to use between $500 million and $540 million in cash for 2025, excluding the Blade acquisition.
Global Expansion
Beyond the U.S. market, Joby plans to initiate passenger service in Dubai as early as 2026, leveraging Blade’s established presence in Southern Europe to enter additional international urban air corridors. The combined strategy of regulatory progress, acquisitions, and operational readiness sets the stage for Joby to emerge as a leading global player in electric air taxi services.
In summary, Joby Aviation’s future roadmap capitalizes on Blade’s operational network and customer base to accelerate commercial launch, advances FAA certification toward 2026 approval, extends into defense markets through partnerships, and pursues global expansion, notably targeting U.S., European, Middle Eastern, and other key urban markets in the near term.
[1] Joby Aviation Press Release: [Link to Press Release] [2] Blade Air Mobility Press Release: [Link to Press Release] [3] Joby Aviation Investor Presentation: [Link to Investor Presentation] [4] Joby Aviation Q2 2025 Earnings Call Transcript: [Link to Transcript] [5] L3Harris Press Release: [Link to Press Release]
- Joby Aviation is venturing into the defense sector, partnering with L3Harris for a potential income influx of over $100 million, as they explore military and defense applications of eVTOL technology, expanding their revenue base beyond commercial urban air mobility.
- In an effort to bypass the costly and time-consuming process of building new infrastructure, Joby Aviation acquired Blade’s passenger business for up to $125 million, gaining immediate access to Blade's urban terminals and a large customer base.
- Joby Aviation is poised for international growth, planning to initiate passenger service in Dubai as early as 2026, using the established presence Blade has in Southern Europe to enter additional international urban air corridors, aiming to become a leading global player in electric air taxi services.
