(CALIFORNIA) Joby Aviation’s dramatic stock rally in 2025 is tied to a clear, concrete milestone: the company completed the first airport-to-airport, piloted eVTOL air taxi flight in the United States, a short hop that could reshape how short-range air travel works in California and beyond. In July 2025, a piloted eVTOL aircraft flew for 12 minutes over 10 nautical miles from Marina Municipal Airport to Monterey Regional Airport. The company says this was the first time a piloted electric air taxi operated between two public airports, a key step toward commercial service.
Investors moved fast. As of August 15, 2025, Joby Aviation (ticker: NYSE: JOBY) traded at $17.34, putting its market value near $13.7 billion. The stock gained 231.77% over the past year and rose 24.40% in the last month alone. On August 4, it touched an all-time high of $20.95 before easing back into the $17–$18 range in mid-August. Trading activity also spiked: on August 14, 13.45 million shares changed hands, a sign of strong interest and momentum around the company’s flight progress and timeline.
The flight itself was simple and short, but it checked important boxes. It showed point-to-point operations between real airports, with a pilot on board, and within controlled airspace. Joby Aviation framed the run between Marina Municipal Airport and Monterey Regional Airport as proof that its aircraft and procedures can work in today’s aviation system.
The company had done many uncrewed and crewed flights before, but those stayed within one airport’s airspace. Crossing from one public airport to another marks a meaningful advance, and it pulled Joby into the center of the race to bring electric air taxis to market.
Certification and regulatory context
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been watching Joby’s program closely as it works toward type certification, the formal approval that allows an aircraft design to carry paying passengers. The agency did not roll out new policy after the July flight, but it reiterated its plan to support safe eVTOL integration.
Joby’s success between the two airports is seen as a key milestone on the way to approval. The company’s timeline points to certification in late 2025 or early 2026, which would open the door to passenger service in the United States.
For readers who want to follow the federal process, the FAA’s page on Advanced Air Mobility explains the agency’s work on these aircraft and how they’ll fit into current rules: https://www.faa.gov/initiatives/aam. No shortcuts apply here—Joby must complete type certification, operational approvals, and training requirements before it can sell tickets.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this measured approach helps both safety and public trust, even as investors look for near-term catalysts. The path from a demo flight to daily service still includes:
- hardware reviews,
- pilot procedures,
- charging standards, and
- ground operations that match the FAA’s expectations.
Joby outlines a four-step path to launch:
- Continued flight testing: More piloted and autonomous flights to prove reliability, safety checks, and smooth procedures at airports and future vertiports.
- FAA certification: Finish type certification, secure operational approvals, and complete pilot training programs.
- Infrastructure build-out: Work with airport leaders and local governments on charging, maintenance, and simple, safe passenger facilities.
- Commercial launch: Start with initial routes in select California cities, then expand to other U.S. markets after certification.
Each piece feeds the next. The July flight helps validate operations outside a single test zone. Certification work then locks in the design and training. Ground sites must be ready at the same time so aircraft can turn around flights quickly and safely.
“The airport-to-airport mission demonstrates the readiness of our aircraft and the maturity of our operations for commercial service.” — JoeBen Bevirt, Joby founder and CEO
Market and industry impact
Industry analysts labeled the airport-to-airport demonstration a “watershed moment” for the eVTOL field. It sets a bar for other manufacturers and can speed up adoption timelines across the sector. Competitors such as Archer Aviation and Lilium are expected to press ahead with their own demonstrations and certification pushes, while regulators in other countries watch the U.S. program to help shape their own standards.
Closer to home, the urban air mobility ecosystem—airport operators, state and local planners, power providers, and first responders—now has a working example to study. If aircraft can move between public airports in short hops with consistent performance, planning for routes, charging locations, and passenger flows becomes more concrete.
Joby’s run from Marina Municipal Airport to Monterey Regional Airport is a small segment in miles, but a large step for public acceptance because it uses well-known airports and a piloted flight profile.
The market reaction reflects that shift from concept to practice. Year-to-date, Joby shows a 113.22% return since January 2025, with analyst price targets now ranging from $6 to $22 and a consensus that has trended upward after the July achievement. While stocks are volatile, the move suggests investors see clearer near-term progress tied to certification and route planning.
Company background and next steps
- Founded in 2009 and public since 2020, Joby Aviation reports about 2,030 employees and a strong research and development program.
- Before 2025, Joby’s crewed flights stayed within a single airport’s airspace. The latest step stitched two public airports together with a short, controlled mission that fits into current U.S. air traffic rules.
The FAA’s role remains central:
- Type certification confirms the aircraft design meets safety standards.
- Operational approvals cover how and where the aircraft can fly and what training pilots need.
- The FAA has said it remains committed to the safe integration of eVTOLs into the national airspace. While it announced no new policy changes tied to Joby’s July flight, the successful mission adds real-world data to the agency’s review.
If Joby meets its plan for approval in late 2025 or early 2026, the company expects to begin flying passengers in California first, then scale to other U.S. cities. The July flight points to one practical early use case: short, reliable hops between regional airports that cut travel time while using electric power. That model can build the case for future connections to city vertiports as sites and procedures mature.
What observers will watch next
Investors, regulators, and local officials will watch a few things over the next several months:
- How often Joby repeats the airport-to-airport profile and under what conditions.
- Progress across FAA certification “gates” as published by the company.
- Agreements with airports for charging and quick turnarounds.
- Public response to piloted flights that people can see and hear near existing terminals.
For official company updates, readers can visit Joby Aviation’s website and its investor relations page at https://www.jobyaviation.com. For U.S. regulatory updates and safety frameworks, the FAA’s Advanced Air Mobility page offers current guidance and status reports at the link above: https://www.faa.gov/initiatives/aam.
The story is still moving, but the core facts are clear: a 12-minute flight over 10 nautical miles between two public airports—starting at Marina Municipal Airport—has become a marker for the entire eVTOL industry. Joby Aviation turned that marker into market traction, and the next test is to convert momentum into certified aircraft, ready infrastructure, and safe, steady service.
This Article in a Nutshell
Joby’s July 2025 piloted eVTOL flight — 12 minutes, 10 nautical miles between public airports — turned demonstration into market momentum, advancing FAA certification prospects and focusing infrastructure, training, and operational work required for commercial launch in California and beyond.
