Joby Aviation Inc. jumped 40% Wednesday after a crucial green light from U.S. regulators in its quest to build electrically powered air taxis.
The company, based in Santa Cruz, California, said in a statement that the go-ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration will let it test flying taxis coming off its production line; it previously could only demo a prototype made by hand. Joby showed off the first aircraft from its manufacturing facility at a media event.
“This is a huge moment,” Joby Chief Executive Officer JoeBen Bevirt said on Bloomberg TV from the factory in Marina, California.