Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation have both moved their first U.S. passenger air-taxi operations to 2027, according to an AVweb report published November 12, 2026 that draws on the companies’ third-quarter earnings calls. Joby had previously aimed to carry passengers before the end of 2026.

Joby

  • In its November 4 shareholder letter and earnings call, Joby said it expects FAA pilot training and more company flight testing in the first half of 2027, ahead of Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) flight testing, according to AVweb.
  • Chief Policy Officer Greg Bowles said: “Commercial flights under eIPP will be tied to substantial TIA flight testing.” The eIPP is the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, under which Joby had planned its first passenger flights.
  • Chief Financial Officer Rodrigo Brumana indicated that initial commercial operations under the program are expected in 2027, AVweb reports.
  • Joby has flown demonstration flights in Texas and Florida under the program. It has not announced a date for receiving its FAA type certificate.

Archer

  • On its November 9 earnings call, Archer said its Midnight aircraft received an FAA Market Survey Special Airworthiness Certificate for piloted runway demonstrations in Los Angeles, according to AVweb.
  • Archer still needs to complete a piloted transition from vertical to wing-borne flight, which it targets before the end of 2026, before seeking approval for vertical operations.
  • Chief executive Adam Goldstein said: “In 2027, I plan to be Archer’s first passenger in Midnight.”
  • Archer is also preparing for operations tied to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

What remains

Both companies still need full FAA type certification for routine commercial service, AVweb notes. The article gives no month for 2027 operations, no type-certificate date for either company and no financial results. Lens covered Archer’s certificate and quarterly loss in an earlier post.

Sources and notes

This post is based on AVweb’s article by Matt Ryan, published November 12, 2026. Lens read it as extracted text and did not read Joby’s shareholder letter, Archer’s results release or the earnings-call transcripts directly. Lens did not contact either company or the FAA.

Image: Joby Aviation’s S4 experimental eVTOL aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Harlan Huntington, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.