FutureFlight
Japan's All Nippon Airways and Toyota Back Joby's eVTOL Rideshare Plans
The partners will work to launch eVTOL air taxi services in Japanese cities such as Osaka by 2025, as part of a government-backed plan for advanced air mobility.
Joby aims to offer 14-minute flights from the center of Osaka to Kansai International Airport.
Joby aims to offer 14-minute flights from the center of the Japanese city of Osaka to Kansai International Airport. (Image: Joby Aviation)

Japanese airline ANA is to work with Joby Aviation to establish ridesharing flights in the U.S. company’s four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. Under an agreement announced on February 14, carmaker Toyota is also joining the partnership and will provide expertise for plans to integrate the air taxi services with ground transportation.

All three partners are already contributing to the Japanese government’s Public-Private Conference for the Future of Air Mobility Revolution, which was organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Investment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism. The government is supporting efforts to launch commercial eVTOL flights during the 2025 World Expo to be held in Osaka at the heart of the Keihanshin metropolitan area, which has 18 million inhabitants.