Joby Aviation has completed its first autonomous cross-country flight across the United States, flying a Cessna Caravan 3,199 miles from California to North Carolina's Outer Banks no control inputs from the onboard safety pilot. The company announced the completion of the milestone flight on Thursday.

Throughout the trip, the aircraft handled taxi, takeoff, navigation, and landing entirely on its own using Joby's autonomy system. The flight required no manual intervention at any phase, from the initial taxi to the final touchdown.

$JOBY COMPLETES 3,199-MILE AUTONOMOUS FLIGHT ACROSS THE U.S. WITH ZERO PILOT CONTROL INPUTS

A converted Cessna Caravan using Joby's autonomy system flew from California to North Carolina, handling taxi, takeoff, navigation and landing autonomously.

The onboard safety pilot made…

— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) September 18, 2026

The converted Caravan departed Concord, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and made stops in Phoenix, Arizona; Fort Worth, Texas; Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina; and finally Dare County Regional Airport on the North Carolina coast. Remote supervision was provided from Joby's California headquarters and from Shaw Air Force Base, at distances of up to 2,323 miles away.

The destination carried deliberate symbolism. The flight concluded near the First Flight Monument at Kitty Hawk, a nod to the Wright brothers, who made the world's first powered flight at the same site in 1903.

The route also presented demanding conditions. The aircraft integrated into Phoenix Deer Valley, one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, and rerouted around severe weather in real time, demonstrating an ability to adjust to changing conditions mid-flight. Operating in shared airspace alongside conventional traffic is among the core challenges autonomy developers must demonstrate as they pursue regulatory approval for software-flown aircraft.

Joby says the demonstration shows the technology's potential across a range of applications, including commercial freight, medical transport, disaster response, and defense logistics. Those uses remain prospective for now: putting autonomous aircraft to commercial work will require regulatory approval that the system has yet to receive.

An Autonomy Stack Backed by Military Testing

Joby acquired the autonomy system from Xwing in 2024. Xwing built its technology as a retrofit for existing aircraft, which is why the demonstrator is a converted Caravan — a single-engine turboprop long used for regional cargo and commuter flying. Since then, it has logged more than 400 flights and 800 automated flight hours in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace.

The system has also been tested in three major U.S. military exercises, giving it a level of real-world validation beyond typical commercial development.

The aircraft is currently making its return trip to California, with stops planned in Washington D.C., Wichita, and Portland before it arrives back on the West Coast.

Stock Reverses Despite Milestone

JOBY stock was down roughly 2% on the day despite the positive announcement. Shares initially moved higher following the news but reversed course and turned negative as investors took profits and sold into the announcement.

The muted reaction extended a difficult year for the company's shares. JOBY is down 54% so far in 2026, compared with an 11% gain in the S&P 500. Concerns around heavy capital spending and the long road to full regulatory approval for autonomous flight have continued to weigh on the stock throughout the year.

Adding to the pressure, CEO JoeBen Bevirt sold more than 606,000 shares on Tuesday, according to an SEC filing published Thursday. The sale was executed under a trading plan adopted on March 5, 2026, and involved stock held by The Joby Trust, of which Bevirt is the beneficial owner. The trades were carried out in multiple transactions as part of the pre-arranged plan, a structure that allows company insiders to schedule share sales in advance.