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Joby & NASA’s simulation of 120 air taxi operations per hour in busy airspace

January 16, 2024

Joby Aviation, Inc., an eVTOL manufacturer, has announced the successful completion of a series of air traffic simulations with NASA’s Ames Research Center, evaluating the integration of air taxi operations into current airspace, including busy airports, using existing air traffic control (ATC) tools and procedures.

They tested scenarios with dozens of eVTOL aircraft per hour flying into and out of the complex, busy airspace in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) region using today’s airspace system. The activity took place at NASA’s Future Flight Central, a high-fidelity virtual tower facility offering a 360-degree view of a real-time simulation of an airport.

During the simulation, teams of controllers virtually tested the ability to integrate up to 120 eVTOL operations – arrivals or departures – per hour from DFW’s Central Terminal Area, alongside the airport’s existing traffic. Up to 45 simulated eVTOL aircraft were simultaneously aloft in DFW’s Class B airspace during the activity.

Following scenarios developed by NASA and Joby airspace engineers, participating controllers employed some of the highly structured routes and procedures used today in busy low-altitude airspace regions, including Letters of Agreement and dedicated controller positions to scale air taxi operations without impacting existing traffic.

NASA will publish a complete analysis of the simulation results next year, sharing data with the industry and the FAA.