Joby Autonomous Aircraft Begins Cross-Country Tour

Joby’s Electric Skies tour takes its autonomous J208 across the U.S. to validate supervised autonomy with civil, defense and logistics partners.

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• Month-long, coast-to-coast tour covering 10 states demonstrates Joby’s autonomy technology for commercial freight, emergency response and defense logistics
• Tour builds on a mature platform that has demonstrated more than 400 flights, 800 automated flight hours and successful participation in three U.S. military exercises
• Aircraft participating in launch of White House-backed eIPP program in Texas today, hosted by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) today announced that its autonomous J208 aircraft has begun a month-long, coast-to-coast tour with stops across 10 states. The tour demonstrates the real-world operational maturity, safety, and dual-use utility of its autonomous flight system for both civil and defense applications, including emergency services, as part of its work under the White House-backed eVTOL and AAM Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).

Joby Aviation’s autonomous flight technology powers a Cessna Caravan during a flight over the San Francisco Bay Area on September 7, 2026. (Photo: Joby Aviation)

As part of a tour that will see the aircraft travel from California to the East Coast and back, the converted Cessna Caravan will demonstrate the flight capabilities that support future use cases spanning commercial freight, medical transport, disaster response, and defense logistics. By integrating an autonomous system onto an already-certified airframe, Joby offers an immediate, scalable path to autonomous air logistics.

“Autonomous flight can transform how we deliver essential supplies, respond to emergencies and support our servicemen and women,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “We’ve already demonstrated this technology in demanding military exercises. Now, we’re taking it across America to show how the aircraft can integrate into our national airspace in order to serve communities, strengthen our logistics networks and help keep people out of harm’s way.”

10-State Flight Route & Key Stops

As part of Joby's 2026 Electric Skies tour, the J208 features flight demonstrations, logistics showcases, and operational milestones across the following stops:

1. Phoenix, AZ (KDVT): Demonstrates dual-use autonomy technologies for defense, first responders, and cargo applications, as part of Arizona's role in the uFLY coalition.
2. Fort Worth, TX (KAFW): Showcases autonomous freight potential at Alliance Airport, a major US industrial logistics hub. The stop coincides with Joby's broader Dallas-Fort Worth eIPP flight demonstration campaign, announced separately in partnership with TxDOT.
3. Shaw Air Force Base, SC (KSSC): Demonstrates military flight operations and tactical defense readiness.
4. Outer Banks, NC (KMQI): Marks the historic completion of the eastbound coast-to-coast leg near Kitty Hawk, where the Wright Brothers first took to the skies.
5. Raleigh, NC (KRDU): Highlights Joby's eIPP partnership with NCDOT across Research Triangle aerospace networks.
6. Stafford, VA / Washington, D.C. (KRMN): Demonstrates complex airspace integration in the national capital region.
7. Louisville, KY (KSDF): Spotlights cargo automation at UPS Worldport, the world's largest automated package facility.
8. Wichita, KS (KICT): Home of Textron Aviation, original manufacturer of the Cessna Grand Caravan airframe.
9. Oklahoma City, OK (KOKC): Demonstrates autonomous capabilities at the home of the FAA's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, as part of Oklahoma's role in the uFLY coalition.
10. Salt Lake City, UT (KSLC): Hosts operations with UDOT, which leads the uFLY coalition evaluating autonomous flight across the West's high-altitude terrain and extreme-temperature desert environments.
11. Portland, OR (KPDX): Tour concludes with Pacific Northwest flight demonstrations and static aircraft displays, as part of Oregon's role in the uFLY coalition.

As part of the tour, the J208 will demonstrate active flight operations in eIPP partner states across the country. In North Carolina, operations support NCDOT's eLIFT-NC initiative to establish a statewide aviation network for healthcare logistics and rapid emergency medical response. In the West, the aircraft joins UDOT's uFLY coalition, a five-state partnership, with tour stops in four of its member states: Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Oregon, evaluating autonomous operations across high-altitude terrain, desert environments, and varied regional airspace to generate crucial operational data for future FAA airspace integration.

Proven Flight Maturity & Supervised Autonomy

Joby’s autonomous technology is grounded in a deep operational track record. The J208 has accumulated more than 400 flights and 800 automated flight hours in controlled and uncontrolled airspace. That maturity comes from repeated real-world flights, using an autonomy stack first developed by Xwing and integrated through Joby’s 2024 acquisition.

The technology has also been proven out across three separate U.S. military exercises. During Agile Flag, a series of U.S. Air Force readiness exercises, the aircraft demonstrated that it could operate on an unpredictable schedule and deliver cargo, including replacement parts that allowed other aircraft back in the air roughly 24 hours sooner than a conventional logistics run would have allowed. Most recently, REFORPAC, a major military logistics exercise across the Pacific and Hawaii in August 2025, saw the aircraft operated by ground control stations nearly 4,000 miles away in Guam.

In practice, the J208 operates under a supervised autonomy model, where a ground-based Remote Pilot serves as Pilot in Command, supervising the flight, updating flight plans and managing air traffic control (ATC) communications using the aircraft's standard radios. A monitoring pilot is onboard for select operations.

The journey forms part of Joby’s 2026 Electric Skies tour, bringing its electric air taxi and autonomy technology to communities across America through flight demonstrations and aircraft displays. The tour showcases how these complementary technologies can transform the movement of people and goods, while supporting critical public services and defense missions. As part of the Texas stop, the J208 is on display at Fort Worth Alliance Airport during an event hosted by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy celebrating the launch of the White House-backed eIPP.

Media Availability & B-Roll:

High-resolution video footage, flight photos, and graphics are accessible here.

About Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) is a next-generation aviation company based in California. Its aircraft, propulsion and autonomy technologies span both commercial aviation and defense applications. Joby also operates Blade, a leading urban air mobility business providing passenger transportation services in the United States and Europe. Joby intends to operate its fast, quiet and convenient air taxi service in cities around the world and sell its aircraft to other operators and partners. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.

Forward-Looking Statements ​​

This 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, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing; our planned operations with the US Air Force, including timing and location of planned Superpilot™ demonstration flights and expected benefits of the Superpilot™ technology; expected benefits of and operations under the eIPP, including the expected timing and location of such operations; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations. 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 ability to secure additional contracts with the Department of Defense or other U.S. governmental agencies cannot be guaranteed; participation in eIPP projects is subject to, among other things, the finalization of OTA contracts; 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, 2026, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on May 6, 2026, 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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260910481472/en/

Joby Media:
Christine Theodorou
press@jobyaviation.com

Joby Investors:
investors@jobyaviation.com

Source: Joby Aviation, Inc.

Key Terms

evtol technical

eVTOL stands for "electric vertical takeoff and landing" aircraft, which are small, electric-powered vehicles capable of taking off and landing vertically like a helicopter. They are designed to provide quick, on-demand transportation within cities or between locations, potentially transforming urban mobility. For investors, eVTOLs represent a growing segment of innovative transportation technology with potential for significant market impact and future growth.

atc technical

The ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) classification is a standardized system that groups medicines by the part of the body they act on and their therapeutic properties, similar to shelving books by genre and subject in a library. Investors use ATC codes to compare drugs with the same purpose, track market size and competition within a therapy area, and gauge how a new product might fit into or disrupt existing treatment categories.