Airport officials disclosed this month that Joby Aviation, the leading electric air taxi developer, is in active discussions to begin demonstration flights out of Santa Monica Municipal Airport as early as this fall, potentially positioning the facility as an eVTOL hub in the run-up to the 2028 Summer Olympics — even as the airport remains on a path to permanent closure at the end of that year.
Airport Director Stelios Makrides told the Santa Monica Airport Commission that Joby and Atlantic Aviation, the fixed-base operator that holds a major leasehold on the north side of the airfield, approached city officials roughly two weeks before the commission meeting with a proposal that would include leasing hangar space and conducting non-commercial flights in the Los Angeles Basin.
"Joby came to us and want to be here," Makrides said. "We are in the center of the Olympics, the 2028 Olympics."
Makrides said Joby intends to fly its aircraft through the LA airspace this fall, pending federal authorization — a process he described as imminent. The flights would not carry paying passengers; instead, they would serve as airspace integration operations similar to demonstration flights Joby has conducted in New York, where the company recently flew from JFK to the East River heliport, and in San Francisco.
"I'll be surprised if it's denied," Makrides said of the expected federal permission. "They've flown in other airspaces that are as congested."
An industry expert who presented at a March 2026 environmental noise conference in Las Vegas predicted that Joby could be selling seats to passengers as early as the summer of 2028, with Joby ranked as the industry leader ahead of rival developers Lilium and Archer, Makrides noted.
To power the aircraft, Atlantic Aviation and its subsidiary Verdeport are exploring a battery energy storage system that could be moved onto the ramp rather than requiring a major overhaul of the airport's electrical infrastructure, Makrides said. An earlier proposal to bring additional power from Southern California Edison to the ramp now appears to have been set aside in favor of the more targeted battery approach.
Commissioners raised questions about fire-safety ratings for aviation-grade batteries, a concern Makrides acknowledged he would need to address once a formal proposal is in hand. The handful of public commenters at the Commission meeting were split on the proposal.
Airport critics said the new operations were contrary to the spirit of closing the facility while supporters said the new generation of planes were quieter and safer than anything else available.
Santa Monica Airport is already home to two certified electric aircraft operated by Eco Aviation Foundation through Proteus Air Services flight school — including a Pipistrel Velis Electro, the world's first FAA type-certified electric airplane. Smith said the aircraft is inaudible to ground observers during flight.
Joby's interest follows the launch earlier this year of the first scheduled passenger flights in the airport's 103-year history. Dallas-based JSX began operating ATR 42-600 turboprop flights to Las Vegas in December 2025, later adding routes to Scottsdale and Napa.
The airport is bound by a 2017 federal Consent Decree requiring it to remain open through Dec. 31, 2028, after which the city has committed to converting the 227-acre site into parks and open space under voter-approved Measure LC. City Manager Oliver Chi reiterated that commitment as recently as December 2025.
Roughly 350 aircraft remain based at the airport and must relocate before the closure deadline. Makrides said the commission would receive a fuller update once Joby and Atlantic Aviation submit a formal proposal.
Correction: Archer Aviation is the official air taxi for the LA28 Olympic Games