Joby Aviation Inc. announced Tuesday that it has started hiring local workers because it has acquired a facility at the Dayton International Airport that it will use to manufacture aircraft parts.
The California-based company, which is developing electric air taxis for commercial use, said its acquisition of a former U.S. Postal Service facility is an important first step toward creating a local manufacturing operation that will produce as many as 500 aircraft each year.
Joby Aviation says it will turn the roughly 204,385-square-foot postal facility into a high-tech manufacturing center where it will produce aircraft parts to support the company’s pilot production line in Marina, California.
“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.
Joby plans to build a larger facility on vacant land at the airport next to the postal service building.
That’s where it plans to make electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Joby announced in September that it had selected Dayton to be home to its scaled manufacturing facility.
The company says it plans to invest up to $500 million into its Dayton operations, and it expects to create as many as 2,000 local jobs.
Joby said as its initial production facility comes online, the company will be looking to hire skilled machinists and engineers, quality inspectors and supply-chain professionals.
Joby says its electric air taxis can carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph.
The company says its aircraft offer “high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.”
Dayton’s manufacturing operations are expected to begin later this year.
The Dayton City Commission last month approved a ground lease agreement with Joby to lease the space at the airport. City staff last month said the city is in negotiations with Joby for the vacant land west of the postal facility.
