Is this all-electric aircraft the future of commercial air travel?

By Dean Murray via SWNS

A U.S. company has announced plans to bring these distinctive aircraft to UK skies.

Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, announced Sunday (July 17) it has formally applied for its design to be certified for use in the United Kingdom.

The five-seat piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has a maximum range of 150 miles and a quiet acoustic profile.

Powered by six electric motors, it boasts "fast, quiet, and emissions-free flight" and is designed to connect people and cities.

The vehicle's vertical landing capability offers flexibility to serve almost any community, with Joby stating "flying with us might feel more like getting into an SUV than boarding a plane."

The firm says it will be the first eVTOL company working with the US FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) preparing to enter the UK market by applying for validation of its forthcoming type certificate with the UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority).

Joby's application builds on a joint statement by the FAA and CAA in March, announcing their intent to leverage the existing Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the two regulators to streamline the introduction of eVTOL aircraft using existing regulatory frameworks.

Commenting on the application, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby Aviation, said: “By working hand-in-hand on certification, the U.K. and the U.S. are setting the stage for these two countries to be amongst the earliest adopters of this important new technology.

“We strongly believe that a collaborative approach to regulation helps to foster greater safety and accelerate the introduction of new technologies that benefit the public and the environment.

“We’re incredibly excited about the potential for electric aerial ridesharing to offer a new form of clean and affordable urban and regional connectivity across the U.K., where more than 80% of the population lives in, or near, cities.”

Type certification is a multi-year process that sees a company undertake rigorous testing and documentation across each aircraft system in order to prove the aircraft is safe and ready for commercial operations.

Similar type certification processes are undertaken for all aircraft, big and small – an approach that has helped shape air travel into one of the safest forms of transportation available today.

In March, Joby announced it had joined ADS Group, the premiere U.K. trade association for aerospace, defense and security companies, and is working with the U.K.’s leading provider of air traffic control services, NATS, to explore the integration of Joby services into the U.K. airspace.