Electric 'air taxis' launches in Japan by 2027

(MENAFN) Japanese airline ANA announced Thursday that, in partnership with US start-up Joby Aviation, it aims to introduce electric “air taxis” over Japan as early as 2027. The two companies plan to establish a joint venture to deploy over 100 of the five-seater aircraft.

Koji Shibata, ANA’s president and CEO, described the flying taxis as set to “revolutionize air mobility.” The aircraft, capable of carrying a pilot and four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph (320 km/h), are expected to operate initially between Narita and Haneda airports and Tokyo, potentially expanding to additional routes in the future. Travel time from central Tokyo to Narita, normally over an hour by car or train, could be reduced to around 15 minutes. ANA aims to keep fares affordable for the general public.

A public demonstration of the vehicles will take place at the Osaka Expo in October. Joby Aviation’s founder, JoeBen Bevirt, highlighted Japan as an ideal platform for redefining air mobility, blending “ancient wisdom, legendary craftsmanship, and soaring ambition.”

The aircraft take off vertically like a helicopter and transition to forward flight like a plane, producing minimal noise and zero emissions. The project comes amid setbacks for other air taxi companies: German startups Volocopter and Lilium faced financial struggles, with Volocopter filing for insolvency after planned 2025 test flights were canceled due to engine certification delays.

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