Joby and Archer Push First US Air Taxi Passenger Flights to 2027: What Changed
eVTOL.Travel Editorial
Photo: Joby Aviation's eVTOL over downtown Tampa, October 2026. Image: Joby Aviation.
The two best-known US eVTOL makers, Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, have both moved their first US passenger flights into 2027. Their third-quarter results in early November, and the earnings calls that followed, put the first rides next year, as reported by AIN FutureFlight and AVweb.
Joby: commercial launch under the FAA pilot program in 2027
| Earlier plan | Passengers under the FAA eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) before the end of 2026 |
| New timing | Initial commercial operations under the eIPP in 2027, according to CFO Rodrigo Brumana |
| What comes first | FAA pilots begin training and Joby finishes its own testing in the first half of 2027 |
| Next big step | Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) flight testing, where FAA pilots fly the aircraft for certification |
| How long that takes | Typically 6 to 18 months, Joby said; it plans to fly several aircraft at once to shorten it |
| Production | 17 aircraft in production |
| Cash | About $2.2 billion in cash and short-term investments |
Joby's chief policy officer Greg Bowles said on the November 4 earnings call that commercial flights under the eIPP will be "tied to substantial TIA flight testing". Joby has already flown eIPP demonstration flights in Texas and Florida and plans piloted test flights across its Dubai vertiport network before the end of 2026. No type certification date has been announced.
Archer: first passenger flight planned in 2027
| Current FAA approval | Market Survey Special Airworthiness Certificate, for conventional runway flights only |
| Still to do | A piloted transition from hover to wing-borne flight, targeted by the end of 2026 |
| After that | About 50 hours of flight testing before asking to fly vertically under market survey rules |
| Base | Hawthorne Municipal Airport, near Los Angeles |
| Passenger plan | CEO Adam Goldstein plans to be Archer's first Midnight passenger in 2027 |
| Big target | Passenger flights ahead of the LA28 Olympic Games |
| Production | Nine Midnight aircraft being built, three in final assembly |
On Archer's November 9 earnings call, Goldstein said: "In 2027, I plan to be Archer's first passenger in Midnight." Archer reported about $1.35 billion in cash.
What this means for travelers
- No US air taxi tickets in 2026. Both companies are still in test and certification flying. Demonstration flights are not paid passenger service.
- Full certification is still the gate. Routine commercial service in the US needs FAA type certification, and neither aircraft has it yet.
- 2027 is a target, not a promise. Timelines in this industry have moved before. Joby and Archer both once aimed for 2025.
For where every aircraft stands, see our explainer: Is any eVTOL certified yet?
You can fly an eVTOL before 2027
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Sources: AIN FutureFlight: Joby and Archer Push eVTOL Passenger Flights to 2027, Nov 10, 2026 · AVweb: Joby, Archer Push Initial Passenger Operations to 2027, Nov 12, 2026
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Sources: Information sourced from official company announcements, FAA publications, SEC filings, and verified industry reports. For corrections, contact us.
Written by
eVTOL.Travel Editorial
Contributor at eVTOL.Travel — covering electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, vertiports, and the launch of urban air mobility worldwide.
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