SAN FRANCISCO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Joby Aviation, a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, on Wednesday announced it has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin flight testing of its first production prototype.

The aircraft, built at its pilot production line in Marina, U.S. state of California, will undergo initial flight testing and is expected to become the first-ever eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) aircraft to be delivered to a customer in 2024, the company said.

Joby, which plans to begin commercial passenger operations in 2025, has been flying full-size aircraft since 2017 and its pre-production prototype aircraft have flown more than 30,000 miles since 2019, according to the announcement.

"Today's achievement is the culmination of years of investment in our processes and technology and it marks a major step on our journey to scaled production," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.

"California is proud to be home to some of the world's most innovative companies. Joby is changing the game when it comes to the next frontier of flight: zero emission aviation," said California Governor Gavin Newsom.