Joby Aviation reaches FAA's final certification stage with "for credit" testing underway
As seen on the 24/7 Wall St. homepage on November 4, 2026.
This quarter, we made important progress on the fifth and final stage of certification, completing a wide range of 'for credit' testing with the FAA. We significantly increased manufacturing output while improving efficiency, and demonstrated our electric air taxi in key early U.S. markets through the White House-backed eIPP program. Our J208 aircraft also completed what we believe to be the first fully autonomous flight of a civilian aircraft across the United States, and this morning we…
Joby is now in stage five of five with the FAA, running "for credit" testing, the last gate before commercial air taxi service. Bevirt paired that with a near $37 million expanded Air Force autonomy contract, revenue that arrives before certification does. Archer's pace on the same path is the comparison to keep watching.
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Joby Aviation's CEO Joeben Bevirt confirmed during the Q3 2026 earnings report that the company is now working through Stage 5, the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification, completing what the company calls "for credit" testing. That phrase carries real weight: for-credit tests are the ones that count toward final approval, meaning Joby is no longer practicing but performing for the regulator. Every test completed in this stage is a direct step toward the certification that unlocks commercial air taxi operations.
Alongside the certification progress, Joby announced an expansion of its autonomy-focused contracts with the U.S. Air Force to nearly $37 million. That contract matters for investors watching the runway to revenue: it represents meaningful income arriving before FAA certification does, reducing the company's dependence on the certification timeline alone to generate cash flow.
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The company also reported that its J208 aircraft completed what it believes to be the first fully autonomous flight of a civilian aircraft across the United States. Bevirt flagged this in the same breath as the Air Force contract expansion, underscoring that the autonomy work feeding the military program is the same technology base that will eventually power commercial operations.
Joby also used the quarter to put its electric air taxi in front of customers in early U.S. markets through the White House-backed eIPP program, while increasing manufacturing output and improving efficiency. The competitor to watch remains Archer Aviation, which is working through the same FAA certification ladder. How quickly Archer closes any gap in stage progression is the signal that will tell investors the most about Joby's relative position.
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Mentioned: JOBY