Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced the appointment of Michael Huerta, former Administrator of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to the Company’s Board of Directors.
Huerta also serves on the Board of Directors for Delta Air Lines, which announced a multi-year, multi-market commercial and operational partnership with Joby in October 2022. As part of the agreement between the two companies, Delta made an up-front equity investment in Joby of $60 million, with a total investment of up to $200 million possible based on the achievement of mutually agreed progress milestones.
Huerta’s appointment to the Board of Directors follows the appointment of Dan Elwell, former Acting Administrator of the FAA, to the Company’s Advisory Board in 2021. The FAA plays a critical role in bringing eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) to market, and the appointment comes as Joby continues to make substantial progress in certifying its aircraft with the FAA for commercial passenger use in 2025. Joby is the first eVTOL company to complete the first two of five stages in the FAA’s type certification process, as well as receive airworthiness approval from the U.S. Air Force.
“Michael is joining our team at a pivotal time for Joby and the broader eVTOL industry, and his dual seat on Joby and Delta’s Boards will be invaluable as we prepare for commercial operations,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “He has been a strong proponent of electric aircraft and future aviation technologies, and we’re grateful for the passion and depth of experience he brings to our team.”
Huerta completed a five-year term as FAA Administrator in 2018, during which the agency earned an unprecedented safety record. He previously served as Acting FAA Administrator from 2011 to 2013 and Deputy FAA Administrator from 2010 to 2011. Huerta is currently a consultant serving the aviation and transportation industries, and also serves on the Board of Directors of Verra Mobility Corp.
Commenting on Huerta’s appointment, Delta CEO Ed Bastian added, “Joby and Delta are pioneering a groundbreaking new way to travel. Michael’s aviation experience is a tremendous benefit to both companies as we work to deeply integrate our two services to make booking travel easier, the end-to-end journey more seamless, and to deliver customers maximum time savings.”
“The United States is on the verge of a new era of aviation, with electric aircraft like Joby’s transforming how we travel,” said Huerta. “I’ve been impressed by Joby’s leadership in the sector and look forward to supporting the team as it works toward making fast and clean everyday flight a reality.”
Joby has continued to build its Board of Directors with unrivaled industry expertise. In addition to Huerta, the Company’s Board members include Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a Partner at Greylock; Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox; Dr. James Kuffner, CEO and Representative Director of Woven Planet Holdings, and a Member of the Board of Directors and Operating Officer of Toyota; Dipender Saluja, Managing Director of Capricorn Investment Group; Halimah DeLaine Prado, General Counsel of Google; and Laura Wright, former CFO of Southwest Airlines Co. The board is chaired by Paul Sciarra, co-founder of Pinterest.
