By Abhijith Ganapavaram
(Reuters) – Gobi Aviation (NYSE:) said on Thursday that the U.S. aviation regulator has allowed the use of the air taxi maker's in-house software to perform tasks such as managing pilot workload and matching passengers to aircraft similar to ride-hailing applications.
The approval of the operating system, known as ElevateOS, comes as Joby prepares to launch commercial air taxi operations as early as 2025.
The Santa Cruz, California-based company is one of several manufacturers of air taxis — also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) drones — that have emerged over the past few years with the promise of alleviating urban travel congestion by offering rides. Horses in the city.
Joby has commercial agreements to integrate the software with Uber Technologies (NYSE:) and Delta Air Lines (NYSE:) that will allow passengers to book and pay for flights, Bonnie Simi, Gobi's chief operating officer, told Reuters in an interview.
ElevateOS has been licensed for use by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as part of Part 135 certification, which Joby obtained in 2022, she said, adding that the company tested the system by moving employees between its locations.
The air taxi manufacturer also plans to make money selling the software as a service. The company's eVTOL aircraft is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph.
Joby, which went public in 2021 through a SPAC merger, has attracted investments from transportation industry heavyweights such as Toyota (NYSE:), Uber, and Delta Air.
Several major public companies have bet on air taxi makers, but the industry faces technological and regulatory hurdles in starting operations and achieving profitability.
These challenges affected the sector's shares. Joby shares are down 24.8% this year, while Archer Aviation shares are down 50.2%.