American aircraft company Joby Aviation is planning to build its first scaled aircraft production facility in Dayton, Ohio, US, with an investment of up to $500m.
Planned to be built at Dayton International Airport, the site will be equipped to deliver up to 500 aircraft annually.
The proposed manufacturing facility is expected to create up to 2,000 jobs and is backed by incentives and benefits of up to $325m from the state's government, as well as JobsOhio and local political subdivisions.
Construction of the manufacturing facility is scheduled to commence in 2024, with commissioning planned for 2025. The 140-acre site housing the plant is said to have the capability to enable ‘significant’ further growth.
The new facility will build, test, and fly all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing air taxis, which will primarily be used for commercial passenger operations, Joby has said.
Designed to accommodate a pilot and four passengers, the aircraft will have the capacity to achieve speeds of up to 200mph over a 100-mile range.
Joby said that the aircraft will be used as part of aerial ridesharing networks in cities and communities around the world.
Ohio governor Mike DeWine said: “The aircraft that will roll off Joby Ohio’s production lines will redefine urban transportation and contribute to a transformational change in the way people and goods travel. We welcome Joby and celebrate the new chapter of air mobility history that will be made here in Ohio, the heart of aviation and aerospace."
