Joby set to bring flying taxis to Japan!
Joby and ANA Holdings Inc. will work together to bring aerial ride sharing to Japan for the first time, according to a Joby statement.
Toyota Motor. will join the partnership and focus on ground-based transport.
- The move reflects Joby’s strategy to team up with local companies to launch its service in markets outside the U.S., the company said.
The startup and the airline will work together on infrastructure development pilot training, flight operations and air-traffic management.
Electric-air taxis are coming closer to reality as the first wave of designs reach maturity and developers turn to the market for funding. A wave of deals with airlines and lessors in the sector over the past year means competition is heating!
Flying from Japan’s Osaka station to Kansai International Airport could take just 15 minutes based on plans laid out by flying-taxi startup Joby Aviation Inc. and the country’s biggest airline.
*Joby tweet on the Evtol agreement
The journey from Osaka station to Kansai International Airport could look very different in the future:
🚗 1 hour by car
âš¡ Less than 15 minutes with JobyRead more about how we're working with @FlyANA_official to bring aerial ridesharing to Japan here: https://t.co/vrYAS3K9K7 pic.twitter.com/KipI6EzzML
— Joby Aviation (@jobyaviation) February 15, 2022
With Japan due to host the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, the concept has been gathering momentum.
Joby is developing a five-seater aircraft with a maximum range of 150 miles. The startup targets producing its first aircraft this year, with entry date set for 2024.
Joby first partnered with Toyota in 2019. Toyota engineers have also worked on projects with the company, according to a Joby