Joby, Lilium advance on eVTOL air taxi certification goals

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developers Joby and Lilium have announced completion of important steps in their respective work to obtain air taxi certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The coinciding announcements by Lilium and Joby involve fulfillment of requirements in the wider air taxi certification process. Though outwardly administrative in nature, those are obligatory points of passage for eventual eVTOL certification by the FAA and EASA. 

Along with sector rivals that include Archer, Wisk, and Volocopter, both Joby and Lilium continue their respective drives to obtain eVTOL certification, and planned launches of commercial air taxi services sometime in 2025. 

Headquartered near Santa Cruz, California, Joby is initially focusing on obtaining FAA approval to enable a US rollout, while Munich-based Lilium will first seek EASA…