COLUMBUS, Ohio (NEWSnet/AP) — The Ohio city where the Wright brothers once lived and worked will soon be a manufacturing site of electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement announced Monday.

“We find this very, very exciting — not only for the direct jobs and indirect jobs it’s going to create, but like Intel, it’s a signal to people that Ohio is looking to the future. This is a big deal for us,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL aircraft are entering the mainstream around the world, though questions remain about noise levels and charging demands. Still, developers say the planes are nearing the day when they will provide a wide-scale alternative to shuttle individual people or small groups from rooftops and parking garages to their destinations, while avoiding the congested highways.

Joby Aviation Inc.’s decision to locate its first scaled manufacturing facility at a 140-acre site at Dayton International Airport delivers on two decades of groundwork laid by the state’s leaders, Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. Of specific interest: the site is near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories.

The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, opened the first U.S. airplane factory in Dayton in 1910. To connect the history, Joby’s formal announcement Monday will take place at Orville Wright’s home and conclude with a ceremonial flypast of a replica of the Wright Model B Flyer.

Joby’s production aircraft is designed to transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, with a maximum range of 100 miles. Its quiet noise profile is barely audible against the backdrop of most cities, the company said. The plan is to place them in aerial ridesharing networks beginning in 2025.

Joby, based in Santa Cruz, Calif., is a 14-year-old company that went public in 2021 and became the first eVTOL firm to receive U.S. Air Force airworthiness certification.

The $500 million project is supported by up to $325 million in incentives from the state of Ohio, its JobsOhio economic development office and local government. With the funds, Joby plans to build an Ohio facility capable of delivering up to 500 aircraft a year and creating 2,000 jobs.

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