Joby Aviation and Oregon Department of Aviation Highlight Autonomous Flight at Portland International Airport
PORTLAND, OR. – Joby Aviation and the Oregon Department of Aviation (ODAV) today highlighted the October 2 visit of Joby’s autonomous J208 aircraft to Portland International Airport (PDX). During the stop at Atlantic Aviation, Joby showcased the aircraft and demonstrated its autonomy technology before departing on the final leg of its return journey to the company’s headquarters in California.
The Portland visit offered a firsthand look at autonomous aviation and its potential applications in Oregon, including transporting medical supplies, moving time-sensitive cargo and supporting disaster response.
The demonstration served as the Oregon stop on Joby Aviation’s 2026 Electric Skies Tour, a coast-to-coast flight demonstration of the company’s autonomous J208 aircraft. The aircraft covered 6,665 miles coast to coast and back. On the eastbound leg, it flew 3,199 miles from Concord, CA to North Carolina's Outer Banks with zero control inputs from the onboard safety pilot, including autonomous taxi, takeoff, cruise, and landing, supervised remotely from up to 2,323 miles away.
The aircraft, a modified Cessna Caravan equipped with Joby’s autonomous flight system, is being used to evaluate autonomous capabilities for commercial logistics, rural supply chains, emergency response, and public service applications. Across its testing and national tour, Joby’s J208 has completed more than 400 flights and 800 automated flight hours, in addition to participating in three U.S. military exercises.
Joby’s J208 operates under a supervised autonomy model where a ground-based remote pilot serves as the pilot in command, actively supervising the flight, updating flight paths, and managing air traffic control communications. A safety pilot remains onboard during select flight phases. The company is utilizing the nationwide tour to showcase the real-world operational maturity of its dual-use autonomy suite to state officials, air cargo operators, and emergency managers across the country.
For Oregon, the demonstration connected those capabilities with practical needs across a state where mountainous terrain, long travel distances and seasonal emergencies can complicate ground transportation.
“Seeing this technology at PDX makes aviation’s future tangible,” said Kenji Sugahara, director of the Oregon Department of Aviation. “We see opportunities to connect rural communities, move critical supplies and strengthen emergency response. Preparing for those uses requires close coordination with airports and local communities, supported by a clear understanding of what is operating in our airspace.”
Oregon’s Role in a National Advanced Air Mobility Initiative
The Oregon demonstration is connected to the state’s participation in the State of Utah’s uFLY: America’s AAM Crossroads to the West coalition under the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).
The eIPP was established to accelerate the safe deployment of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technologies in the National Airspace System through structured partnerships between state government entities, federal regulators, and private industry leaders.
Oregon is part of the five-state uFLY coalition, and Joby’s Electric Skies Tour includes key operational stops across Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, and Oregon. These operations allowed Joby and state partners to evaluate autonomous flight across diverse environments, including Oregon’s coastal and mountainous airspaces, while generating real-world flight data to inform future FAA airspace integration policies.
“In Oregon, geography has always defined logistics. By testing the J208 here with our uFLY partners, we’re proving how autonomous regional cargo can bypass rugged terrain to reliably connect communities. The data we collect in Oregon will show the rest of the country how to turn complex, isolated routes into efficient daily operations,” said Greg Bowles, Chief Policy Officer at Joby Aviation.
The visit also highlighted the preparation needed to integrate autonomous aircraft safely into the broader aviation system. Airport readiness, coordination with existing air traffic and community engagement will help determine how these technologies can serve Oregon effectively.
About Joby Aviation
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) is a next-generation aviation company based in California. Its aircraft, propulsion, and autonomy technologies span both commercial aviation and defense applications. Joby also operates Blade, a leading urban air mobility business providing passenger transportation services in the United States and Europe. Joby intends to operate its fast, quiet, and convenient air taxi service in cities around the world and sell its aircraft to other operators and partners. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
About the Oregon Department of Aviation
The Oregon Department of Aviation (ODAV) supports a safe and efficient aviation system that connects communities and drives economic growth. The department operates and maintains 28 state-owned airports and provides aviation planning, infrastructure funding and technical expertise across Oregon. ODAV works with communities, government agencies and industry to strengthen airport infrastructure, support emergency preparedness and advance the safe integration of emerging aviation technologies, including uncrewed aircraft systems and advanced air mobility. To learn more, visit www.oregon.gov/aviation.
Media Contact:
Alexis Morris, Communications & Administrative Specialist
Oregon Department of Aviation
Alexis.Morris@odav.oregon.gov
Joby Media:
Christine Theodorou
press@jobyaviation.com
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