Joby Stock Spikes and more

https://www.investors.com/news/joby-stock-joby-aviation-robotaxi-production-doubled-evtol/1.Joby Stock Spikes, eVTOL Maker To Double Air Taxi Production7 July 2025Joby stock continued its rally into Thursday after the electric air taxi maker on Tuesday announced plans to expand operations. Fellow eVTOL maker Archer Aviation is surging. Defense contractor Karman Holdings (KRMN) also scrambled higher.Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Joby Aviation (JOBY) on Tuesday said it would build out its Monterey Bay facility in Marina, California, which will enable it to double aircraft production capacity at the location. The expanded site will span 435,500 square feet, helping the 16-year-old company to scale up its commercial operations. In addition, Joby is ramping up operations at its newly-renovated facility in Dayton, Ohio, to manufacture and test aircraft components. Joby said it also expanded its test flight program and is adding a new aircraft to its fleet.The opening of the new manufacturing space is a key step for Joby as the company prepares to scale production and enter the market.Once operational, Joby expects the Marina site to be able to produce up to 24 aircraft per year."Reimagining urban mobility takes speed, scale and precision manufacturing,"  Eric Allison, chief product officer, said in the news release. "Our expanded manufacturing footprint in both California and Ohio is preparing us to do just that."Hong Kong Opens Skies to Higher-Payload Drones: Drives Low Altitude Economy Growth2.Hong Kong Opens Skies to Higher-Payload Drones: Drives Low Altitude Economy Growth31 July 2025Hong Kong has taken a major step toward establishing itself as a leading hub for the low-altitude economy (LAE) by introducing new regulations that allow drones to carry significantly heavier payloads. The Small Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Order 2025, which took effect on July 18, 2025, extends the regulatory framework to cover drones weighing up to 150 kilograms, a six-fold increase from the previous 25-kilogram limit.The regulatory expansion represents Hong Kong's most significant aviation policy reform in years. The new Category C aircraft classification covers drones weighing between 25 and 150 kilograms, requiring operators to obtain prior approval from the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) and maintain appropriate insurance coverage. For drones weighing 25-75 kilograms, operators must secure HK$15 million in insurance, while heavier aircraft require HK$20 million coverage.Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong highlighted the strategic importance of these changes: "Amendments to local laws and regulations to promote the development of the low-altitude economy are in the works. One of the key points of the amended laws would be to allow higher payloads, which would result in more such drones being allowed to operate".The legislation also includes provisions for cross-boundary operations and establishes data retention requirements to support regulatory enforcement. Complementing these changes, the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Amendment) Order 2025 empowers the Chief Executive to permit trials of unconventional aircraft under specified conditions.https://nypost.com/2025/07/31/lifestyle/virgin-australia-wins-approval-to-carry-pets-on-flights3.Australian airline wins approval to carry pets on flights — behind all the cuddly details31 July 2025In an Australian first your flight is set to soon become a little bit furrier with the regulatory green light flashing to bring one small pet dog or cat on Virgin Australia domestic flights.A previous regulatory loophole that classed airplanes as restaurants, prohibited food and drink from being served when pet cats and dogs were present in the cabin.However last month Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) approved Virgin’s amendment to allow for pets.“We assessed the microbiological food safety risks and found that, with appropriate risk management controls in place, the presence of pet cats and dogs in aircraft cabins presents a low risk to passengers,” a FSANZ statement read.“The amendment to the Code gives airlines operating in Australia and serving food in-flight the discretion to allow pet cats and dogs in aircraft cabins, provided all relevant food safety requirements are met.”The service is expected to launch by the end of this year.Two rows will be designated on select flights for flyers traveling with pets.Pets will be required to fit within a pet carrier which with the pet in it must weigh less than 17.6 pounds and fit under the plane seat in front.A Virgin spokesperson said they were “excited to have reached an important milestone” in the journey to offering pets in-cabin service.4.Textron eAviation Confirms Pause in Manned eVTOL Program2 August 2025As the first certified electric aircraft manufacturer—Pipistrel Velis Electro—Textron eAviation is reallocating resources to bring new aircraft to market, refine existing models, while pausing progress on its eVTOL program. The Nexus eVTOL, a four-seat, single-pilot aircraft designed for a range of up to 100 miles, was expected to achieve its first tethered flight this year. However, development at the Wichita-based Glass House facility has slowed.It has been confirmed that the Nexus will not undergo flight testing this year, and engineers in Wichita have been reassigned to three other major projects. These include the piston-engine Pipistrel Panthera and its EASA CS-23 certification program; the unmanned, multirole Pipistrel Nuuva V300 hybrid-electric cargo drone; and the integration of Amazilia Aerospace, a German fly-by-wire flight control systems manufacturer acquired by Textron eAviation in 2024, now rebranded as Textron eAviation GmbH.The Panthera is a high-performance, gasoline-powered single-engine aircraft capable of cruising at 190 knots while burning 11 gallons per hour. Once the Panthera secures EASA CS-23 certification, plans call for concurrent FAA validation.As part of Textron eAviation's ongoing development of next-generation passenger aircraft, the company continues to explore alternative technical variants of the Nexus eVTOL to ensure alignment with customer needs and evolving market dynamics.The Nuuva V300 multirole drone is also a key focus. Textron eAviation is leveraging its German fly-by-wire assets to support both the Nuuva program and Pipistrel’s Surveyor special-mission platform. The company aims to vertically integrate and become its own fly-by-wire (flight control) supplier. In June, it delivered an aircraft equipped with this system to Aviatek, a Latin American special-mission service provider and systems integrator. A second aircraft is now under development and will also feature this system.  For any aircraft manufacturer, resource allocation is critical—a key factor in the slowdown of the Nexus program. With approximately 500 employees, a significant portion of whom are engineers, Textron eAviation must strategically deploy its talent to bring aircraft to market as efficiently as possible.  Regarding Nexus, battery technology continues to evolve. From eAviation’s perspective, the goal is to introduce a multi-mission-capable aircraft rather than a short-term urban air mobility (UAM) product. Assessing current battery capabilities and ongoing projects, the company has taken a step back to focus on defining the right product. This has led to increased trade studies in hybrid-electric solutions, alongside support for other active programs like the Panthera and Nuuva. While eAviation remains invested in eVTOL development, it is prioritizing a multi-mission platform approach rather than a niche UAM solution.  Textron’s vision has never been solely centered on the urban air mobility market. Instead, the focus is on developing Textron Aviation or Bell products that meet customer mission requirements in terms of range and payload.  Although the Velis Electro has limited endurance, as a Textron eAviation product, it continues to undergo improvements. Meanwhile, since its first flight in January, the Nuuva V300 has begun performing flight maneuvers, including heading transitions and return-to-point operations, while expanding its hover envelope. A second prototype is under construction, equipped with its own fly-by-wire system and an internal combustion engine (ICE) to enable wingborne transition flight.  The Nuuva mission set includes three primary use cases: Commercial logistics (e.g., last-mile delivery) ,Special missions and Disaster relief. The ICE enables a hybrid-electric propulsion system with eight electric motor. Textron eAviation continues refining the aircraft to accommodate more powerful engines and battery configurations.That’s all for this episode of Aviation Newsletter. Thank you for listening.  Podcast by: PriscillaSound Edited: LunaAviation Newsletter is brought to you by the Starrime team. You can catch our podcast on all major podcast platforms.  We also look forward to seeing your comments.  See you soon.