Joby acquires Ohio facility to start manufacturing operations

California-based Joby Aviation Inc., a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, has acquired an existing facility at Dayton International Airport and begun hiring in support of the company’s initial manufacturing operations in Dayton, Ohio.

The former U.S. Postal Service facility acquired by Joby will be fitted out to support initial manufacturing operations in Dayton, which are expected to begin later this year. The facility will be used for the manufacturing of aircraft parts in support of Joby’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, California.

Joby’s acquisition of the on-airport facility is the first step in the company’s plan to develop facilities capable of building up to 500 aircraft per year in Dayton, which is expected to include the design and construction of a larger greenfield factory.

“We’re pleased to be able to acquire an underutilized facility at Dayton International Airport and repurpose it as a modern, high-tech manufacturing center to serve as our initial manufacturing footprint in the region. Later this year, we expect to begin subtractive manufacturing of titanium and aluminum aircraft parts as we continue to grow our workforce in Dayton,” said Didier Papadopoulos, president of Aircraft OEM at Joby.

“I am deeply appreciative to the Dayton community, and Ohio more broadly, for the warm welcome we have received as well as the high level of interest in joining our team. We look forward to continued collaboration and to growing our presence in the Miami Valley region as we build the future of flight in the birthplace of aviation.”

Joby announced in September 2023 that it had selected Dayton, Ohio, as the location for its scaled manufacturing facility, capable of producing up to 500 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft per year, with plans to invest up to $500 million and create up to 2,000 high-quality, clean manufacturing jobs in the region.

Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.