Joby Appoints Michael Huerta to Board of Directors

Joby Aviation has named Michael Huerta, former Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to its board of directors.

Huerta is also a member of Delta Air Lines’ board of directors, which is significant for Joby as the two companies signed a multi-year commercial and operational partnership in October last year that covers multiple markets.

His appointment comes at a crucial time for the Santa Cruz-based eVTOL manufacturer as it continues to make great headway in getting its aircraft certified by the FAA for commercial passenger use in 2025.

“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.”

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the addition of Huerta to Joby’s board of directors marks a further step in both companies’ commitment to introducing a whole new form of travel.

“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,” he said.

Huerta acknowledged the work Joby has been doing to achieve its ultimate goal of bringing environmentally-friendly aircraft to the market.

“The United States is on the verge of a new era of aviation, with electric aircraft like Joby’s transforming how we travel,” he said. “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.”

Under the agreement signed last year, Delta made an up-front equity investment of USD$60 million in Joby. A total of up to USD$200 million could be invested depending on whether mutually agreed progress milestones are met.

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