Joby Aviation says aircraft completed first fully autonomous U.S. flight

3,199-mile flight integrated Joby system onto certified airframe

Joby Aviation said Friday that an aircraft equipped with its autonomous technology completed a 3,199-mile flight across the United States with no control inputs from its onboard safety pilot, in what the company called the first fully autonomous U.S. flight. According to the company, the flight included autonomous taxi, takeoff, cruise and landing, and was supervised remotely throughout.

The company said the flight offers a proof point in its vision of integrating an autonomous system onto an already-certified airframe to scale up autonomous air logistics.

“This journey across America offers a glimpse into a new era of aviation,” Chief Executive JoeBen Bevirt said. “Autonomy has an important role to play in the future of flight, allowing us to connect remote communities, deliver critical supplies, respond faster to disasters, support military operations, and keep pilots out of harm’s way.”

Joby’s shares rose 1.81% in the trading session covered by the report, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Kelly Cloonan, a corporate breaking-news reporter at The Wall Street Journal, wrote the report.