Japanese airline ANA is looking to launch a flying taxi service from airports to city centres
Joby, founded in 2009, began the certification process for its electric aircraft last year
Japan’s largest airline and flying taxi startup Joby Aviation have announced plans to bring aerial ridesharing to the country’s third-largest city, Osaka.
In a statement on Monday, airline ANA and the Californian startup said travelling by air would cut the journey time from central Osaka to the city’s Kansai Airport to just 15 minutes, compared to an hour by car.
Joby’s founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said the startup wanted to provide a greener way of travelling quickly via its electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
“Japan offers us a spectacular opportunity to do just that with 92 per cent of the population living in urban areas and Tokyo registering as one of the top 20 most congested cities in the world,” he said.
The airport, located on an artificial island 38km west of Osaka, can currently be reached by electric train in 34-65 minutes.
