Joby Aviation completes first fully autonomous 3,100-mile cross-country flight

Joby Aviation announced that a modified Cessna Caravan completed a 3,100-mile journey across the United States entirely under its autonomy stack, marking the first such flight in the country. The mission included autonomous taxiing, takeoff, cruise navigation and landing, with a pilot on board only to satisfy regulatory requirements. Operators monitored the aircraft remotely from Joby’s base in California and from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

The company highlighted the flight’s relevance for missions ranging from emergency medical services to military logistics. Joby’s autonomy package is designed to be retrofitted onto conventional airframes, aligning with its growing defense business, which includes a $17 million Air Force contract via AFWERX and the recent $500 million acquisition of Resonant Sciences. The effort complements Joby’s ongoing work on electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxis for urban transport.