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Flying taxis are one approval away from coming to Hollister’s airport.
Joby Aviation, a company developing flying taxis, is looking to conduct test flights at the Hollister Municipal Airport and received the OK from Hollister city officials this week.
The agreement comes after one company, Alef Aeronautics, which is testing its flying car, recently joined another company, Wisk Aero, at the airport, and amid an effort to create a multi-airport corridor for testing electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The Hollister City Council approved an agreement with Marina-based Joby without discussion on Dec. 1. The agreement is contingent on final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“FAA will determine whether arrangements granting access to the airfield from off-site locations are consistent with applicable federal law and policy and do not violate sponsor grant assurances,” the city staff report reads.
Joby was originally looking for 10,000 square feet of hangar space, but because the airport lacks such space, it applied for access to the airport, according to the staff report.
The report adds that Joby, which has been in discussions with the city since August, is in negotiations to rent private building space at the city’s Airpark Business Center adjacent to the airport.
The report indicated the flight test would consist of about 15 people, various support equipment, at least two eVTOL aircraft, and a “chase aircraft.”
“Joby would conduct ongoing flight operations of their eVTOL aircraft which are necessary to achieve FAA certification of the aircraft,” the staff report states.
If approved, Joby would pay $3,033 annually for the access and aircraft usage fees.
In late October, the city approved a pilot, one-month agreement with San Mateo-based Alef Aeronautics to test its flying car.
In November, the city approved an agreement with Mountain View-based Wisk Aero for an additional 2.8 acres of lease area to expand its operation. Wisk is also developing eVTOL taxi aircrafts.
According to the Nov.17 agenda staff report, Wisk built a hangar at the airport and leases several other spaces. It has been operating at the airport since 2015.
The city said the new lease will add $72,000 annually to the $90,000 in fees Wisk is already paying.
At the same November meeting, the city also approved an agreement with Wisk to install a temporary vertiport, also known as a heliport, on airport property, to test two of its aircraft and their integration to ground infrastructure.
Veriports are platforms designated for vertical and take-offs for aircraft.
The three aviation companies using Hollister’s airport may be a sign of what’s to come. The airport is part of an effort to establish the state’s first FAA-compliant multi-airport flight corridor network.
To that end, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership obtained $7.4 million to invest in infrastructure in Hollister, Watsonville, Marina and Salinas to support eVTOL aircraft.
Hollister Municipal Airport Director Jeff Crechriou said he is looking at logistical challenges such as finding locations for installing charging stations and designated areas for aircraft to land and take off given the airports’ relatively small aircraft parking and fueling ramp.
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