Joby Aviation has signed a letter of intent worth up to $250 million with Alatau Advance Air Group (AAAG) to sell electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and related services, marking a significant step toward introducing air taxis in Kazakhstan.
The deal includes pre-delivery payments and is backed by a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, which will help develop the regulatory framework and infrastructure required for advanced air mobility in the country.
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AAAG is leading the Alatau City development project, a 340-square-mile smart city designed to serve as a Central Asian technology and logistics hub. The partnership will also explore opportunities for sourcing titanium and rare earth materials from Kazakhstan for Joby’s aircraft production.
Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said the company is following its established market-entry strategy by partnering with both government and regional stakeholders. “Kazakhstan is positioning itself to become a key hub for advanced air mobility and the expansion of Joby’s service into the Central Asia region,” Bevirt said.
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AAAG CEO Sergey Khegay noted that the collaboration will begin with Alatau City and Almaty, with the goal of becoming the region’s first eVTOL operator. “Our ambition is to establish a comprehensive testbed and ground infrastructure while supporting the Government of Kazakhstan in creating a robust regulatory environment for safe and reliable operations,” he said.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiyev, described the initiative as a milestone for the country’s innovation agenda, adding that it represents a major step forward in the development of smart cities and next-generation transportation systems.
