More Than 35 Years of
Trusted Partnerships

Our Story

Founded in 1989, Avionyx began its operations in Florida. After several years of steady growth, the company expanded by opening new offices in Costa Rica. Encouraged by accelerated development and strong support from the local community, all operations were relocated in 2008 to the America Free Zone in San José.

Since its inception, Avionyx has specialized in the development and verification of avionics software and firmware, adhering to rigorous industry standards such as DO-178C, DO-278A, and DO-254. The company has supported numerous avionics manufacturers, offering services that span the entire software development lifecycle—including requirements analysis, design, verification, and certification support.

In 2022, Avionyx was acquired by Joby Aviation, a California-based company focused on developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This acquisition aimed to strengthen Joby's FAA certification efforts by integrating Avionyx’s deep expertise in software verification and certification. Energized by this partnership, Avionyx experienced even more rapid growth. Avionyx now provides extensive back-end shared services to the broader worldwide Joby enterprise. As of 2025, around 200 employees support both Joby and Avionyx customers.

Today, Avionyx continues to serve a diverse clientele across the aerospace industry, delivering cost-effective, high-quality engineering solutions from its strategically located facilities in Costa Rica. Service offerings are expanding to include mechanical design services such as drafting and tool design. The company's enduring commitment to excellence and innovation has established it as a trusted partner in the development and certification of advanced safety-critical systems and remains one of the most cost-effective alternative to offshore.

Our General Manager

Tom Ferrell is a distinguished aviation professional with over thirty-six years of aerospace experience, much of that as an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER).

Tom has been with Joby for just over six years, assuming the position of Avionyx's General Manager in March of 2024. Tom splits his time between this role and continuing to lead Joby's Development Assurance team responsible for all software (SW) and airborne electronic hardware (AEH) compliance oversight including a dedicated team of DERs.

Prior to Joby, Tom held positions at Boeing, Iridium, SAIC, and his own venture, FAA Consulting, utilizing his deep expertise in the field.

Tom holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Northern Illinois University, along with advanced degrees in IT Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and History from George Mason University. He has contributed to industry consensus standards (often in leadership positions) including DO-178B, DO-178C, DO-254, as well as trade press publications such as the Wiley Encyclopedia of Software Engineering (2nd Ed.), and CRC Press Digital Avionics Handbook (3rd Ed.).

Tom currently serves on the RTCA Advisory Board. Tom’s leadership and technical contributions have solidified his reputation as a key figure in aerospace engineering.