Japan’s Kyodo News reports that: “ANA Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it will not offer a commercial flying taxi service at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, viewed as one of the highlights of the event. Japan Airlines Co. is also reconsidering its plan to provide air taxis at the expo, sources familiar with the matter said, meaning all four flying car operators that had planned commercial services at the event are unlikely to offer them.”
In February 2023 ANA Holdings and Joby Aviation announced they had been selected by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition to operate demonstration flights during the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. The two companies had planned to develop plans for flight connections between the Expo venue and at least one other location in Osaka.
“ANA has found it difficult to obtain safety certification from authorities in time, it said,” according to Kyodo News. “All four operators will still conduct demonstration flights, according to the companies. Air taxis were expected to provide access to the event’s venue on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. ANA has been working with Joby Aviation Inc. to operate electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft developed by the U.S. startup, while JAL is preparing to use vehicles developed by Volocopter GmbH from Germany.
“The other two operators, Japan-based flying car startup SkyDrive Inc. and Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp., already said they would not operate commercial flights at the expo.”
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(Image: Joby)