Flying Taxi Service for Japan

 Big Global Flying Taxi Partnership: ANA, Joby Aviation & Toyota

                                    Source:  Joby Aviation

Electric, eVTOL Air Commuting for Japan

There's a big, global development in the deployment of flying taxis. Japan's ANA - All Nippon Airways - and California-based flying taxi company Joby Aviation have formed a partnership to bring electric, vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) to Japan to serve as a network of ride-sharing, flying taxis for commuters.  Automaker Toyota is also a major partner in this endeavor and will focus on transport connections on the ground.  With the global stature of the members of this partnership, it has all the appearances of a game-changing deal for the deployment of flying taxis.

The Japanese Market for Flying Taxis

The Japanese market is fertile for flying taxis.  92% of the Japanese population live in cities. Some like Tokyo are among the most congested in the world.  The first deployment of the Joby eVTOLs is targeted for ferrying passengers in big cities in Japan to nearby airports.  Joby executives say their flying taxis would reduce the travel time from, for instance, Osaka to the Kansai International Airport from an hour drive time to 15 minutes flying time.  Flying taxis offer zero emissions travel with drastically reduced commuting times, which would greatly benefit Japanese commuters.

Tech Specs on Joby eVTOL

Joby has an all-electric, eVTOL, zero emissions flying taxi that can carry 5 people.  It can fly at speeds up to 205 mph and has a range of 150 miles.  The vehicle has a very low noise level and is said to be "near silent" for city flying.  It can take off and land like a helicopter to get in and out of congested areas.  The vehicle has successfully completed more than 1000 flight tests and is well on the way to getting flight certification from the FAA in the US.

Next Steps Toward Deployment

ANA and Joby are collaborating on all aspects of their new enterprise to establish an eVTOL flying taxi network in Japan. This includes everything from pilot training, infrastructure, air traffic control and regulatory approvals.  Toyota will be working on establishing the ground transportation connections.  The team expects to take to the Japanese skies in 2025.