Aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation Inc. has announced it will invest up to $500 million and create up to 2,000 jobs in Dayton, Ohio. The company plans to build its first scaled aircraft production facility at the Dayton International Airport, where it will develop electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service.
Joby Aviation selected Ohio as the site for the scaled aircraft production facility following an extensive and competitive site selection process. The project is contingent upon standard due diligence, state and local approvals of incentives, permitting and other legal and regulatory matters as customarily accompany such investment projects.
“We’re building the future of aviation right where it all started, in Dayton, Ohio,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “The Wright Brothers harnessed revolutionary technology of their time to open up the skies, and we intend to do the same — this time, bringing quiet and emissions-free flight that we hope will have an equally profound impact on our world.
“The U.S. continues to lead the way on introducing this technology, with unprecedented levels of support across all areas and levels of government,” he continued. “We’re incredibly grateful to Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator JD Vance, Representative Mike Turner, and the team at JobsOhio for their support, as well as the representatives of the many other states we worked with during this process.
“Our partnership with Ohio is a great example of how successful public-private partnership amongst industry, local, state and federal government can bring important new technology to life,” Bevirt concluded.
A New Era In Aviation Manufacturing
Joby plans to build a facility capable of delivering up to 500 aircraft per year. The 140-acre site it has selected has the potential to support significant further growth over time, providing enough land to build up to two million square feet of manufacturing space. Construction of the scaled Ohio facility is expected to start in 2024 and it is expected to come online in 2025. Joby plans to use existing nearby buildings to begin near-term operations.
“Ohio’s legacy in aviation begins with the Wright Brothers and continues with Joby Aviation as they launch a new era in aviation manufacturing and aerial mobility in Dayton.”
— Governor Mike DeWine
The state of Ohio, JobsOhio and local organizations have offered incentives and benefits of up to $325 million to support the development of the facility. Joby has also been invited by the U.S. Department of Energy to submit a Part II Application for financing under the Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program, which provides access to low-interest loans for clean energy projects and would support the scaling of the facility.
Joby’s long-term investor, Toyota, who worked with Joby on the design and successful launch of the company’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, California, plans to continue to advise Joby as it prepares for scaled production of its commercial passenger air taxi in Ohio.
“Ohio’s legacy in aviation begins with the Wright Brothers and continues with Joby Aviation as they launch a new era in aviation manufacturing and aerial mobility in Dayton,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “The aircraft that will roll off Joby Ohio’s production lines will redefine urban transportation and contribute to a fundamental change in the way people and goods travel. We welcome Joby and celebrate the new chapter of air mobility history that will be made in Ohio, the Heart of Aviation.”
Joby’s production aircraft is designed to transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, with a maximum range of 100 miles and a revolutionary quiet noise profile that is barely audible against the backdrop of cities. The company plans to operate these aircraft as part of aerial ridesharing networks in cities and communities around the world, starting in 2025, building on partnerships it has developed with Delta and Uber.
Joby’s headquarters, research and development, and pilot production facility will remain in California. With approximately 150 open positions across the Company’s three Northern California sites, Joby continues to grow its presence in the state.
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“Today’s announcement didn’t come about by chance, it was earned through 20 years of strategic planning in the Dayton region, leading us to be in the best possible position for a company like Joby to expand their operations from California to Ohio,” commented Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “Dayton has solidified itself as the center of aviation innovation, from the Wright Brothers to Wright-Patterson AFB, but for over 100 years, that innovation has not been successfully translated into the manufacturing of aircraft and the thousands of jobs that come with it. Today, that elusive aspiration becomes reality.”
“When fully executed, the agreement and the forward vision Joby has shared today will mark the largest aviation job creation deal in Ohio history,” said JobsOhio President and CEO, J. P. Nauseef. “Today, we continue Ohio’s historic legacy as the past – the present – and the future of aviation innovation and further affirm we are in the midst of an economic renaissance of the American Midwest – with Ohio leading the way.”