Piloted Western Air-Taxi OEMs

SkyDrive Inc. has appointed former Toyota executive Taiji Ono as executive vice president and head of global business, and former Airbus executive Gonzalo Ramos as global commercial officer. Ono, who spent nearly 17 years at Toyota Motor Corporation before serving as chief strategy officer at a data platform company, will oversee global business strategy, commercial models and sales strategy, including public-private partnerships in Japan. Ramos, who brings over 22 years of experience in commercial aviation, aircraft leasing and Advanced Air Mobility, including almost 18 years at Airbus, will lead commercial expansion in the United States, Middle East, Europe and Australia, driving aircraft sales contracts and post-delivery maintenance, repair and overhaul support. SkyDrive says it has partnered with airlines, operators, local governments and business partners across 10 countries, and that pre-orders and letters of intent for its SKYDRIVE SD-05 model total 451 aircraft. The company is pursuing type certification with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, with the aim of launching the aircraft into service in 2028.

Joby Aviation reported that its autonomy-equipped converted Cessna Caravan completed the first-ever fully autonomous 3,199-mile flight across the United States, remotely supervised from up to 2,323 miles away while autonomously handling taxi, takeoff, routing, and landing and integrating into busy airports. The cross-country mission, part of Joby's 2026 Electric Skies tour, highlights how the company's mature autonomy stack could underpin future freight, medical, disaster-response, and defense logistics operations on already-certified airframes. The milestone does not directly change the near-term certification catalyst for piloted air taxis or the key risk around elevated cash use and potential dilution. The announcement most connected to the milestone is Joby's recent S-1 filing for up to US$750 million of new equity, which underscores the near-term financing question around supporting certification, manufacturing ramp, and a broader autonomy roadmap. Joby's narrative projects $718.3 million revenue and $44.9 million earnings by 2029, requiring 83.5% yearly revenue growth and a $923.1 million earnings increase from -$878.2 million today, while more cautious analysts assumed about 141.5% annual revenue growth to roughly US$319.0 million by 2029.

Archer Aviation said the U.S. antitrust waiting period has expired on its planned acquisition of Boeing's Wisk Aero, SkyGrid and Insitu subsidiaries, satisfying a key condition for the deal to close. The deal still requires other customary closing conditions, including further regulatory approvals that Archer says are underway, and the company continues to expect completion by the end of 2026. The acquisition would combine the three Boeing units' work in autonomy, eVTOL aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems and airspace intelligence with Archer's own aircraft and its AI foundation model, ZEE. Archer pitches the combined business as an end-to-end physical AI platform for aerospace and defense. Archer shares were down 1.23% in premarket.

Vertical Aerospace has appointed Fabrice Brégier, the former chief executive of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, as chairman of its board, effective Sept. 21. Brégier brings more than three decades of experience across commercial aviation, helicopters, defense and technology, having served as CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft from 2012 to 2016 and later as chief operating officer of Airbus Group and president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft from 2017 to 2018. Earlier he was COO of Airbus from 2006 to 2012, where he was involved in the development of the A350 program, and he previously served as president and CEO of Eurocopter, now Airbus Helicopters. More recently he was president of Palantir Technologies France from 2018 through 2024. The appointment comes as the British electric aircraft developer moves from developing and flight-testing its all-electric Valo eVTOL aircraft toward certification and commercial deployment, and expands its work in defense and autonomous aviation. Brégier succeeds Ben Story, who had served as interim chairman since May and will remain a board member; the appointment does not itself change the company's certification timetable, commercial launch plans or the status of its defense initiatives.

Cathie Wood's Ark Invest sold shares of Palantir and Advanced Micro Devices and bought roughly $3.35 million worth of Archer Aviation for its flagship Ark Innovation ETF. Palantir and AMD rank as the fund's 11th- and 12th-largest holdings, respectively, while Archer Aviation ranks 30th and accounts for roughly 1.2% of the portfolio by weight. The sales of Palantir and AMD look like profit taking rather than a loss of confidence, while the increased stake in Archer, the maker of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, reflects growing confidence in the company. Archer recently struck a deal with Boeing to acquire its Insitu, SkyGrid, and Wisk Aero subsidiaries, a transaction that will give Boeing a 16.5% stake in Archer and bring the aerospace giant on board as a partner. Archer Aviation stock is down roughly 31% year to date and 62% from its high, a pullback that has shifted the risk-reward dynamic in more favorable directions.

Joby Aviation is ahead of Archer Aviation in the race for FAA certification of their electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Joby conducted its first FAA-conforming eVTOL flight in early March and now has five electric air taxis in the air, including its first FAA-conforming aircraft, according to CEO JoeBen Bevirt. Archer has not yet produced an FAA-conforming aircraft, though CEO Adam Goldstein said the company is actively working with the FAA on for-credit testing this year. Investors should watch for Joby to achieve FAA Type Inspection Authorization and for Archer to build and fly its own FAA-conforming eVTOL.

Archer Aviation reported second quarter 2026 results with US$5 million in sales and a net loss of US$263.2 million, alongside progress on flight testing and FAA certification. The company also highlighted Hawthorne Airport operations and a planned acquisition of Boeing subsidiaries. Shares have gained 43.55% over the past 30 days, though the one-year total shareholder return remains down 33.76%. A widely followed valuation narrative pegs Archer's fair value at $20.04 per share versus a last close of $6.79, implying the stock is undervalued by 66.1%.

Eve Holding ended its second quarter of 2026 with $403 million in cash and total liquidity of $531 million, which management says is sufficient to fund operations through the anticipated 2028 certification without new funding. The company reported a net loss of $34 million for the quarter, with research and development expenses declining to $29 million from around $55 million in prior quarters due to favorable supplier agreements. Cash consumption was $49 million in the second quarter and $118 million for the first half of the year, keeping the company near the midpoint of its full-year guidance of $225 million to $275 million. Eve also advanced its flight campaign, completing 66 flights and beginning partial transition flights toward a full transition by year-end, while its pre-order backlog stands at approximately 2,700 aircraft valued at about $13.5 billion at list prices.

Archer Aviation shares surged 11% Tuesday, extending the previous day's rally as investors digested details from the company's earnings call about its deal with Boeing. Archer disclosed that Boeing's Insitu subsidiary generates more than $200 million in annual revenue and can fund Archer's operations on a self-funding basis, significantly changing the company's profile. The stock's move was company-specific, with Joby Aviation shares dropping 2% and EHang Holdings shares flat, indicating the rally is not a broad eVTOL sector move. Despite back-to-back double-digit gains, Archer Aviation remains down 10% year to date, with an analyst target of $10.50 implying meaningful upside potential.

Joby Aviation has opened a 45,000 square foot facility at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas, establishing a new operational foothold as it prepares for potential electric air taxi services. The most followed analyst narrative points to a fair value of $10.68 per share, 19.1% above the latest close of $8.64, implying the stock is undervalued. Consensus price target stands at $10.68, with the most bullish analyst at $18.00 and the most bearish at $6.00. The stock has gained 20.84% over the past week and 8.95% over the past month, though it remains down 39.83% year to date.

Eve Holding has resumed flight testing of its electric vertical takeoff and landing prototype and begun partial transition flights reaching 30 knots, with full transition targeted by the end of 2026. The company ended the second quarter with $403 million in cash and $531 million in total liquidity, which management believes can fund operations through 2028, while second-quarter cash burn was $49 million and full-year cash consumption is expected at $225 million to $275 million. New letters of intent for 46 aircraft increased Eve's stated preorder backlog to roughly 2,700 aircraft worth $13.5 billion at list prices, though only about 100 orders are currently firm. Eve also expects $100 million to $150 million in cost synergies and avoidance through its relationship with Embraer over the next three years, and plans crewed conforming-prototype flights in late 2027 with certification and entry into service in 2028.

Archer Aviation is the better buy among eVTOL stocks compared to Joby Aviation, according to an analysis by The Motley Fool. Archer, with a market cap of $3.7 billion, trades at a significantly lower valuation than Joby, which is valued north of $7.2 billion, and the analyst argues that Joby's higher valuation is not warranted at this stage. Both companies are progressing toward certification, with Joby targeting initial operations in 2026 and holding $2.5 billion in cash, while Archer has $1.8 billion in liquidity and recently completed a city-to-city test flight in California. Archer has also been named the official air taxi provider for the LA28 Games and is developing autonomous aircraft for defense and commercial use. The analyst notes that while both face ongoing losses, Archer's more modest valuation and promising opportunities make it the preferred investment.

Joby Aviation holds technological and regulatory advantages over Archer Aviation in the emerging eVTOL market. Joby's S4 aircraft travels up to 150 miles at 200 miles per hour, outperforming Archer's Midnight which has a 100-mile range and 150 mph top speed. Joby is further along in the FAA approval process and generates more revenue through its Blade helicopter subsidiary. Analysts project Joby's revenue will reach $456.8 million by 2028, compared to Archer's $481.3 million, though Joby trades at a higher valuation of 15 times projected 2028 sales versus Archer's 7 times. Both companies have major backers, with Joby supported by Toyota, Delta Air Lines, and Uber, while Archer partners with Stellantis and United Airlines.

A Motley Fool analyst recommends buying Joby Aviation and avoiding Archer Aviation in the eVTOL sector. Joby has completed over 50,000 miles of test flights, is progressing through FAA certification, and began flying its first FAA-conforming production aircraft. The company holds partnerships with Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, and Uber Elevate, and reported approximately $1.1 billion in cash and equivalents at the end of Q1 2026. Archer Aviation, while partnered with United Airlines, Stellantis, and the U.S. military, faces execution risks and relies more on partners for commercialization, with its valuation already pricing in success. The analyst views Joby as having the strongest combination of technology, certification progress, partnerships, and financial resources among publicly traded eVTOL companies.

Archer Aviation shares jumped nearly 20% after the company and defense technology firm Anduril unveiled Thunder, a Group 5 autonomous attack rotorcraft. The stock closed at $5.31, up 19.59%, on trading volume of 95.7 million shares, about 125% above its three-month average. The hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing platform is designed for both commercial and defense customers, with first flight planned for 2027 and initial commercial partner announcements expected later this week. Despite the gain, Archer remains down 55% over the past year and has fallen 47% since its 2020 initial public offering.

Joby Aviation shares have dropped about 47% year to date, bringing its market capitalization to $7.5 billion, yet the company continues to advance its electric air-taxi certification and commercial plans. Joby is testing FAA-conforming aircraft in preparation for Type Inspection Authorization, has begun preparatory work with Toyota Motor for commercial production, and holds partnerships with Delta Air Lines and Uber Technologies. The company also acquired Blade Air Mobility's passenger business and is participating in a White House-backed eVTOL program that could enable early operations in some states before year-end. Morgan Stanley has cautioned that regulatory hurdles may be underestimated, but its base-case scenario projects the global urban air mobility market could reach $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050.