Joby Aviation has begun a week of operational test flights across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, generating real-world data that US aviation regulator the FAA will use to shape rules for commercial electric air taxi routes.
The flights are the first under the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), a US Department of Transportation initiative announced in March 2026. During the next week, Joby will fly routes from Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW) into Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and major urban hubs.
The campaign is expected to produce the operational data the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs to build safety rules for commercial air taxi service at scale.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said, “Advanced Air Mobility vehicles are the future of aviation and these demonstrations in Texas are critical to getting us there. The FAA is leveraging data from test flights in Texas and across the country to ensure these new aircraft integrate safely into the airspace.”
Low noise flights
During the week, Joby will operate between AFW, key urban sites and DFW, including a landing at DFW’s corporate aviation terminal and a round-trip over Fort Worth landmarks to demonstrate low noise operations. A separate flight will follow a planned route between AFW and Toyota Motor North America’s campus in Plano.
The campaign builds on airspace research the FAA and NASA began in North Texas in 2018. A 2023 Joby-NASA simulation at NASA’s Future Flight Central at Ames Research Center modeled up to 50 air taxi operations an hour in the DFW terminal area.
JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said, “With TxDOT’s leadership and support, the eIPP gives us an incredible opportunity to bring our aircraft into urban areas and accelerate our path to commercial service. This is just the beginning of what Texas and Joby can build together.”
Joby has leased a 45,000ft² (4,180m²) facility at Perot Field, in the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, as its long-term North Texas base. The battery-powered, four-seat aircraft has a range of about 100 miles (160km) and is designed to be far quieter than a helicopter.
Joby is in the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification, testing conforming aircraft toward Type Inspection Authorization. The Texas flights follow earlier Joby demonstrations this year in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, part of its 2026 Electric Skies Tour marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
