Photo: Joby Aviation
In 2025, Joby’s eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) will be one of the aircraft demonstrating air taxi services during the World Expo event in Osaka, Japan. It’s a significant step for the California-based manufacturer, which was the first foreign eVTOL maker to apply for certification in Japan, back in 2022.
At the end of 2022, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition had kicked off the selection process for the operators who would get to put their air taxis to work during the event. Three of the eVTOLs that will fly at the Expo are already well-known in the industry: the American Joby, the UK-based Vertical Aerospace, and the Japanese SkyDrive.
According to Joby Aviation, it will provide air taxi services linking the event’s venue with at least one other location in Osaka. Its partner in this endeavor is Ana Holdings (ANAHD), which has been its collaborator for the Japanese market since 2022.
The Californian company couldn’t have picked a better partner or a better setting for its launch in this part of the world. ANAHD is the country’s largest airline, while the World Expo is the largest and most complex event of its kind. The last time it was held in Japan was way back in 1990, which makes this upcoming edition extra special. A huge crowd of nearly 30 million people is expected to attend, and the Smart Mobility section is due to be one of the most popular.
Several eVTOL makers are planning to officially launch commercial services in 2025. Joby has already more than 1,000 test flights under its belt and is gearing up for advanced tests in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC) wind tunnel, at NASA’s Ames Research Center. This is the largest wind tunnel in the world, and Joby will be the first in the AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) sector to test its electric propeller at this prestigious facility.
Vertical Aerospace is also close to making a splash in Japan. A trading and investment company in the country (Marubeni) has agreed to purchase up to 200 units of Vertical’s air taxi, marking one of the largest eVTOL orders ever. That’s no surprise for the UK-based manufacturer, claiming to have secured more pre-orders than any other eVTOL maker in the world.
SkyDrive is sure to get everyone’s attention at the Expo as the company representing eVTOL manufacturing in Japan. It’s been working on the SD-05 since 2018 and plans to launch air taxi services in 2025, at the event.
In the meantime, all of these manufacturers will have to work out the precise details for each flight, together with their partnering operators and the Expo’s organizers. It sounds like the lucky folks who will be visiting the Expo’s Smart Mobility section in 2025 are in for a treat.
According to Joby Aviation, it will provide air taxi services linking the event’s venue with at least one other location in Osaka. Its partner in this endeavor is Ana Holdings (ANAHD), which has been its collaborator for the Japanese market since 2022.
The Californian company couldn’t have picked a better partner or a better setting for its launch in this part of the world. ANAHD is the country’s largest airline, while the World Expo is the largest and most complex event of its kind. The last time it was held in Japan was way back in 1990, which makes this upcoming edition extra special. A huge crowd of nearly 30 million people is expected to attend, and the Smart Mobility section is due to be one of the most popular.
Several eVTOL makers are planning to officially launch commercial services in 2025. Joby has already more than 1,000 test flights under its belt and is gearing up for advanced tests in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex (NFAC) wind tunnel, at NASA’s Ames Research Center. This is the largest wind tunnel in the world, and Joby will be the first in the AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) sector to test its electric propeller at this prestigious facility.
Vertical Aerospace is also close to making a splash in Japan. A trading and investment company in the country (Marubeni) has agreed to purchase up to 200 units of Vertical’s air taxi, marking one of the largest eVTOL orders ever. That’s no surprise for the UK-based manufacturer, claiming to have secured more pre-orders than any other eVTOL maker in the world.
SkyDrive is sure to get everyone’s attention at the Expo as the company representing eVTOL manufacturing in Japan. It’s been working on the SD-05 since 2018 and plans to launch air taxi services in 2025, at the event.
In the meantime, all of these manufacturers will have to work out the precise details for each flight, together with their partnering operators and the Expo’s organizers. It sounds like the lucky folks who will be visiting the Expo’s Smart Mobility section in 2025 are in for a treat.
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