Results for: japan

SkyDrive ranked first at the Startup World Cup Japan Regional competition, which took place in Tokyo, Japan on July 21, 2022. SkyDrive is a manufacturer of aerial mobility aircraft in Japan and is currently engaged in the development of a compact, two-seating electric-powered flying car with plans for full-scale production. The company aims to begin air taxi service during the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, among service in other regions of Japan. The top start-ups from each regional competition will compete for a $1,000,000 prize at the Grand Finale which will be held in September in San Francisco, California.

SkyDrive was founded in July 2018 with the mission of “leading a once-in-a-century mobility revolution.” Since then, it has advanced the development of flying cars and cargo drones while working in partnership with others to promote the shared vision of a future in which people use air mobility as a means of transportation in their daily lives. SkyDrive advertises as the only company in Japan that has successfully conducted manned test flights and is now involved in designing a system for future air mobility as a member of Japan’s Public-Private Council for advanced air mobility. The company’s cargo drones, which can carry payloads of up to 30kg, are already being used at worksites in Japan, mainly in mountainous areas. SkyDrive is aiming to launch a flying car service in the Osaka Bay area in 2025.

Related:

• SkyDrive and MLIT Agree on Certification Basis for SkyDrive AAV Type Certification
• SkyDrive and Suzuki Announce Collaboration on Aerial Vehicle Development

The Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition that brings together the top startups, VCs, entrepreneurs, and world-class tech CEOs. It partners with some of world’s largest conferences and tech events to host 70+ regional startup competitions for North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia.

Notable to air taxi development in Japan, the Public-Private Council for Air Mobility Revolution was established in 2018. The project is expected to lead to taxi services in urban areas, new means of transportation for remote islands and mountainous areas, and emergency transportation in times of disaster. A roadmap has been formulated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) for the start of business in 2023 and full scale deployment in 2030.

Why it’s important: SkyDrive’s victory of the regional startup world cup competition reflects the company’s talents and substantial progress made along the developmental timeline of their aerial mobility aircraft. The victory also sets high expectations for the ultimate performance of the company at the World Cup finals later this year. More importantly, though, is the increased presence of aerial mobility and enabling technologies for the aerial mobility landscape within the greater startup and business growth sectors of both aviation and the larger scale transportation industry as a whole.

EHang announced that its EH216 AAV has successfully completed a demo flight tour across 4 cities in Japan in July and expanded its footprint for the first time into the Kansai region, Kyushu region and Shikoku region after its demo flights in Okayama and Fukushima cities last year.

On July 18th, EH216 made an appearance on the ceremonial day marking the 1,000-day countdown to the opening of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. These recent unmanned EH216 demo flights in Japan included over-the-sea flights as well as point-to-point flights.

With the support of EHang’s local partners, including Okayama Kurashiki Mizushima Aero & Space Industry Cluster Study Group, this EH216 flight tour in 4 Japanese cities made multiple breakthroughs in exploring urban air mobility use cases such as aerial sightseeing over the sea, air mobility, and smart logistics in Japan. On July 6, EH216 performed Japan’s first eVTOL demo flight over the sea for aerial sightseeing in Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture. On July 13, EH216 completed Japan’s first eVTOL point-to-point demo flight for air mobility in Oita City in Oita Prefecture. On July 21, EH216 conducted a demo flight carrying 80 kilograms of cargos for logistics transportation in Sakaide City in Kagawa Prefecture. Other than flight demos, EH216 has also been exhibited in downtown Oita on July 14 to further expand public cognition and interest in UAM for its future operations in Japan.

The Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will introduce new and innovative VTOL technology to the public and has plans to use eVTOL vehicles for visitor transportation at the Expo. Japanese authorities have established a public-private council for air transportation reformation in accelerating the implementation of related schemes and roadmaps. On the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai 1000-day countdown ceremonial day, EH216 successfully completed a demo flight in Amagasaki City in Hyogo Prefecture, witnessed by local government officials and the Consulate-General of China in Osaka as well as press, in order to assist local authorities in exploring the application of autonomous air mobility solutions and promote eVTOL flights at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

Why it’s important: EH216’s flexibility in operability across multiple locales in quick succession are exemplary of the types of operation that eVTOL and AAM aircraft will support in the future. While the various use cases of EHang’s flights might not all be served in a single day of eVTOL operation, in certain situations they might be able to, if the need arises. Additionally, EHang’s increased flight footprint in Japan provides the opportunity for additional air traffic infrastructure to be laid in countries other than EHang’s native China, which will advance the global regulatory progression of UAM as well.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Joby have announced they are forming a partnership that will see Japan’s largest airline join with Joby to bring aerial ridesharing services to Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) also joined the partnership, with the intention of exploring opportunities such as connections with ground-based transportation.

ANA and Joby are set to collaborate on all aspects of establishing this new form of transportation in Japan, including the development of infrastructure, pilot training, flight operations, air traffic management, public acceptance, and regulatory requirements. Integration with ground transportation will also be considered, with Toyota supporting this effort. The parties will also collaboratively conduct discussions with relevant private companies as well as local and national governments.

The three partners are all existing members of Japan’s Public-Private Conference for the Future Air Mobility Revolution, which was established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Investment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to accelerate the adoption of aerial ridesharing in the country.

Commenting on the partnership and the opportunity presented by the Japanese market, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said: “Joby exists to help people save time while reducing their carbon footprint. Japan offers us a spectacular opportunity to do just that with 92% of the population living in urban areas and Tokyo registering as one of the top 20 most congested cities in the world.”

He continued: “We’re humbled to be working with ANA, an airline that has deservedly been awarded SKYTRAX’s 5-Star rating nine years in a row, and we look forward to working closely with them to bring our aerial ridesharing service to reality in Japan.”

Joby Aviation has spent more than a decade developing the technology behind its aircraft, has completed more than 1,000 test flights, and is the first and only eVTOL company to sign a G-1 (stage 4) Certification Basis for their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Speaking about the opportunity presented by the introduction of aerial ridesharing in Japan, Koji Shibata, Representative Director and Executive Vice President at ANA HD, said: “ANA has 70 years of experience delivering safe and reliable flights to customers across the world. We’re proud to bring that operational experience to the table as part of this partnership and to be at the forefront of introducing this revolutionary form of transport to Japan.”

“Our customers value efficiency very highly, so being able to provide them with the option to travel rapidly – and sustainably – from an international airport to a downtown location is very appealing.”

The concept of aerial ridesharing has been gaining momentum in Japan as the country accelerates its efforts to prepare for the 2025 World Expo to be held in the western capital of Osaka. Osaka is the third most populous city in Japan and the largest component of the Keihanshin metropolitan area, consisting of more than 18 million residents.

While Joby’s aerial ridesharing service will be operated directly by the company and offered to passengers via its app or the Uber app in U.S markets, this announcement reflects Joby’s strategy to partner with local air transportation companies committed to delivering exceptional customer service and operational excellence in other countries. Additionally, Joby expects to work with local ground mobility partners to deliver seamless, end-to-end journeys for customers.

Why it matters: Airlines across the world are partnering with eVTOL manufacturers, and the agreement between ANA and Joby is the latest example of this movement. Joby brings to the table its wealth of experience in working alongside ride-sharing apps like Uber, as well as its notable eVTOL aircraft. Joby’s pre-existing investment relationship with Toyota and Toyota’s participation in this partnership is also exciting, for the potential of integrating Joby’s ride-sharing capabilities with ground-based transportation.

SkyDrive Inc. an advanced air mobility solutions company that’s creating flying cars and cargo drones, announced on November 1st that the company’s application for a type certificate for its flying car was accepted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT). The approval of this application on October 29, 2021 means that the company has now initiated a type certification project for the aircraft that it aims to commercialize in 2025. SkyDrive is the first flying car developer to reach this stage in Japan.

Related: SkyDrive Inks Partnership with JAXA for Aerodynamic Characteristics Research

Under Japan’s Civil Aeronautics Law, MLIT issues a type certificate to certify that the design, structure, strength, and performance of a newly developed aircraft meet the necessary safety and environmental requirements for each type of aircraft. Certification is only granted after the aircraft had gone through a battery of studies and tests, including strength tests and flight tests. This is the first time that MLIT has accepted an application for a type certificate for a flying car.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, Chief Executive Officer of SkyDrive Inc commented on the TC acceptance: “SkyDrive and MLIT have been discussing how to safely develop and test this type of aircraft since the Public-Private Council to promote urban air mobility was launched in Japan in 2018 and SkyDrive received permission for the first outdoor test flight of its flying car. We are very pleased that our application for type certification has been accepted and we will continue to work in close partnership with the government and MLIT to complete our development of a wholly safe and reliable flying car. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of those who have supported us in various ways up to this point and we will continue striving to launch a viable flying car business with the assistance of various organizations and companies, including MLIT, in pursuit of our common goal of realizing an air mobility society.”

Why it’s important: The Japanese MLIT’s acceptance of this type certificate application is indication that Japan continues to invest in advanced aerial mobility projects, and also supports the development of personal aerial vehicle (PAV)’s for use in the future. Continue to monitor the progress of companies such as SkyDrive as they further refine their PAV technology that will ultimately (and likely) end up on larger prototypes that can carry multiple people.

EHang announced today its flagship passenger-grade AAV EHang 216 successfully performed its maiden Japan unmanned and autonomous trial flight to showcase safe, autonomous, eco-friendly aerial mobility aircraft operations. Ahead of the trial flight, the EHang 216 obtained a trial flight permit from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (“MLIT”) with a local partner. EHang 216 was the first passenger-grade AAV granted permission for outdoor open airspace trial flights in Japan.

One of the trial flights was completed at the “Leading the Revolution of Urban Air Mobility” event, organized by the Okayama Kurashiki Mizushima Aero & Space Industry Cluster Study Group (“MASC”) and EHang at Kasaoka Air Station in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Looking ahead, EHang and MASC will collaborate to further develop new air transportation use cases in Japan. 

The 216 AAV flying above a small airstrip in rural Japan. Image // EHang

At the event, the Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr. Kato Katsunobu appointed his secretary, Mr. Sugihara Yohei, to attend the event and delivered a speech on his behalf, saying, “At present, many companies around the world have launched such flying car projects, and are conducting research and development and demonstration projects. As the government, we will actively improve aviation regulations while supporting private enterprises in a timely and appropriate manner. “

Other guests included Ms. Ito Kaori, the Mayor of Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, Mr. Yoshifumi Kobayashi, the Mayor of Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture, Mr. Inoue Mineichi, the Head of the Kurashiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mr. Sugimoto Tetsuya, the Head of Kasaoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 In 2018, the Japanese government established the “Public-Private Council for Air Transportation Revolution” and formulated a Roadmap towards Air Transportation Revolution. The Council aims to start the business services of air transportation of goods and people utilizing flying vehicles by 2023 with gradual expansion from rural areas to urban areas. According to the blueprint, the Civil Aviation Bureau of the MLIT is studying and improving related systems such as the type and airworthiness safety standards for flying cars and the certification of pilots.

Watch a video of the trial flight on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/2WaYLNG5zX0 

Why it’s important: While the first flight of the 216 AAV in Japan is a momentous occasion, more important than the flight itself is the means by which EHang applied for and was granted approval through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (“MLIT”) in conjunction with a local partner. These approvals are key to authorization for initial flight testing, and in the future, more widespread authorizations for operations of aerial mobility aircraft for fare paying passengers.

Earlier last week TransportUP covered the Volocopter press release outlining provisional steps for a partnership with Japan Airlines. The intent of this partnership is to supplement the current aerial mobility sphere in Japan, through the combination of aerial transport already provided by JAL and the support of shorter intra-island routes via air taxis. These routes are reportedly to cover both urban areas (intracity routes) and intercity and even more remote use cases to provide for transportation of goods and services to areas beyond those common to ultra-high population densities.

This announcement comes 6 months after JAL’s Innovation Fund invested in Volocopter GmbH earlier this year – but differs from the general slew of investment fund trends for one key reason.

According to Volocopter’s press release, “JAL will provide their in-depth knowledge accumulated via safe aircraft operation experience to a next-generation air mobility operation platform service. In addition, through air mobility services, JAL aims to deliver medical care in remote areas to achieve key sustainable development goals.”

The Volocopter VoloCity (left), Japan Airlines logo (right)

An increasing number of intercity and intracity use cases have been defined for aerial mobility aircraft, but the vast majority of rural operations focus on human aid and disaster relief, as well as logistics operations. Due to Japan’s more unique population of more elderly citizens in rural portions of the country (many of which lacking easy access to transportation) the emphasis on rural operations is a special identifier for this join venture. Generally, one of the most underestimated market segments for aerial mobility operations are transport to/from urban centers to remote locations 100-150 miles away. Given that a slightly older population living further outside of larger cities in many cases has more disposable income than those who are younger and tend to live in urban centers, early adopters of aerial mobility transport from rural areas may number larger than many projections estimate.

While Volocopter does not yet have a certified aircraft per Japanese Civil Aviation authorities, the company told Helicopter Investor in an interview that transferral of certification credit from EASA was being considered as a more efficient means to deployment.

Why it’s important: The operational experience of Japan Airlines should provide the stability and foundation for larger scale aerial mobility operations. Volocopter will be committing their significant investments toward their air taxi to the partnership, but the frequent flyer customer base from JAL should serve as a readily available trial market once a certified aerial mobility aircraft is available for transport.

Read the press release here.

Bell, subsidiary of Textron Inc, has partnered with two Japanese companies in the development of eVTOL prototypes for the future. This week the company announced partnerships with both Sumitomo Corp. and Japan Airlines as part of its mobility-as-a-service offerings, or MaaS.

Bell is no stranger to the aerial mobility space with its extensive industry partnerships with Uber and its most recent air taxi concept, the Nexus 4EX, unveiled at CES in Las Vegas last month. Bell hopes to better understand infrastructure requirements and regulatory hurdles in the Asian Pacific markets through these key partnerships. 

Bell Nexus 4EX prototype unveiled at CES

“We are excited to take this substantial step to bring together an international airline, a major infrastructure provider, and a VTOL OEM to work collaboratively on a more connected mobility future,” said Scott Drennan, vice president of Innovation at Bell, in a prepared statement.

“While we are known for our 80 years of creating vertical lift aircraft that move people, goods, and data, we also want to help shape the operational infrastructure in which they will live,” Drennan added.

Sumitomo is a Japanese conglomerate involved in a multitude of industries including metal products, transporation, infrastructure and more. Japan Airlines (JAL) is one of the country’s leading passenger airlines with several international destinations. 

Over the coming months Bell will work alongside the two companies to develop policy and planning recommendations and better understand the transportation needs of urban travelers. 

Japan Airlines has partnered with Bell for futureneVTOL services.

Why it matters: The Asia Pacific (APAC) region will be one of the key markets for the commercialization of aerial mobility. The market is already has several competitors such as EHang, and with some of the highest population densities in the world, the mass adoption of eVTOL vehicles is highly likely. Bell’s partnership with these two Japanese companies is one of the earliest in the region and more details are expected to emerge as the partnership grows.