This project would support Joby’s plans to build a production facility at the Dayton airport where it will make electric air taxis, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
On Wednesday night, the Dayton City Commission is expected to vote on a proposed ground lease agreement with Joby Aviation for use of the former Postal Service facility.
Joby wants to lease about 204,385 square feet of space in the commercial building that once was used for mail and package processing, say city documents and airport officials.
The proposed ground lease agreement has a base term of 20 years but it could be extended for up to 50 years.
A Joby spokesperson told the Dayton Daily News that the company would use the facility for subtractive manufacturing of aircraft parts.
Joby is establishing a small operation in Dayton based on the machining of parts, which initially will support its assembly and aircraft production in California, prior to investing in scaled operations in Ohio, the spokesperson said.
“We are currently hiring for a few ‘keystone’ roles that will support the machining of parts and the build-out of the scaled facility,” a Joby spokesperson said. “This initial cadre of employees will form the foundation for our future expansions and provides a strong early footprint in the state.”
Joby plans to use existing buildings at the Dayton International Airport and up to 140 acres of greenfield development for its manufacturing operations, the spokesperson said.
Linda Hughes, Dayton’s air service manager, said the city is working with Joby on 140 acres of property immediately adjacent to the postal facility.
Joby plans to invest $477 million at the Dayton airport to create a manufacturing facility that can support the production of about 500 electric air taxis per year.
The project is expected to create about 2,000 local jobs. Construction should start this year and the production facility should open in 2025.
Under the proposed lease agreement, Joby initially would pay about 7 cents per square foot of leased space at the postal facility, or about $14,300 annually. Lease costs would increase every five years by 2 cents per square foot.
Joby Aviation last week announced it has signed an agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch air taxi services in the Emirate by early 2026, with Joby targeting initial operations as early as 2025.
The agreement signed on Feb. 11 provides Joby with the exclusive right to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years, according to a release. The agreement secures a variety of support from the RTA, including financial mechanisms, for entry and maturing of service operations in Dubai.
