Latest news with #KojiShibata
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Electric 'air taxis' could debut in Japan from 2027
All Nippon Airways (ANA) said Thursday that, together with a U.S. startup, it hopes to have electric "air taxis" whizzing over Japan from as early as 2027. ANA and California-based Joby Aviation said they will establish a joint venture with a view to deploy more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft. Flying taxis will "revolutionize our air mobility," Koji Shibata, president and CEO of ANA, said in a statement Tuesday. An ANA spokesman said on Thursday that the aircraft, designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 320 kph, could be in service from as early as 2027. The project primarily envisages trips between Narita and Haneda airports and Tokyo, although the routes can diversify in the future. Currently, a car or train ride between central Tokyo and Narita in Chiba Prefecture typically takes an hour or longer, but Joby's five-seater can shorten this to around 15 minutes, ANA said. There are no price details yet, but ANA wants to make the service as affordable as possible for the general public, a spokesman said. ANA and Joby will make a public flight demonstration of the vehicles at the Osaka Expo in October. "Where ancient wisdom, legendary craftsmanship and soaring ambition converge — that's Japan," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. "And that makes it an extraordinary launchpad for redefining the future of air mobility." Joby's aircraft lift off like a helicopter, then transition to fly forward like a plane "with minimal acoustic impact and zero operating emissions," according to the firm. In December, flying taxi startup Volocopter said it was filing for insolvency, days after another German company in the field, Lilium, was saved from collapse. Volocopter had been aiming to enter the market in 2025 with its two-seater Volocity electric air taxi model. It suffered a setback when it had to cancel test flights in Paris during this summer's Olympics at short notice after the certification for its aircraft engine didn't come through in time.
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Electric 'air taxis' could debut in Japan from 2027
TOKYO, Japan - Airline ANA said Thursday that, together with a US startup, it hopes to have electric "air taxis" whizzing over Japan from as early as 2027. ANA and California-based Joby Aviation said they will establish a joint venture with a view to deploying more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft. Flying taxis will "revolutionize our air mobility", Koji Shibata, president and CEO of ANA, said in a statement Tuesday. An ANA spokesman told AFP on Thursday that the aircraft, designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph (320km/h), could be in service from as early as 2027. The project primarily envisages trips between Narita and Haneda airports and Tokyo, although the routes can diversify in the future. Currently, a car or train ride between central Tokyo and Narita typically takes an hour or longer, but Joby's five-seater can shorten this to around 15 minutes, ANA said. There are no price details yet, but ANA wants to make the service as affordable as possible for the general public, a spokesman told AFP. ANA and Joby will make a public flight demonstration of the vehicles at the Osaka Expo in October. "Where ancient wisdom, legendary craftsmanship and soaring ambition converge -- that's Japan", said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. "And that makes it an extraordinary launchpad for redefining the future of air mobility". Joby's aircraft lift off like a helicopter, then transition to fly forward like a plane "with minimal acoustic impact and zero operating emissions", according to the firm. In December, flying taxi startup Volocopter said it was filing for insolvency, days after another German company in the field, Lilium, was saved from collapse. Volocopter had been aiming to enter the market in 2025 with its two-seater "Volocity" electric air taxi model. It suffered a setback when it had to cancel test flights during the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 at short notice after the certification for its aircraft engine didn't come through in time. —Agence France-Presse
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Electric air taxis in Japan by 2027 with ANA and Joby Aviation
TOKYO: Airline ANA announced plans to introduce electric air taxis in Japan as early as 2027. The initiative is a collaboration with US-based Joby Aviation. The joint venture aims to deploy over 100 five-seater aircraft for urban mobility. ANA President Koji Shibata called the project a revolution in air travel. Each aircraft will carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph. The service could drastically reduce travel time between Tokyo and Narita. Currently, the journey by car or train takes about an hour. The air taxi could shorten it to just 15 minutes. ANA has not yet disclosed pricing but aims to make the service affordable. A public demonstration is scheduled for October at the Osaka Expo. Joby Aviation CEO JoeBen Bevirt praised Japan as an ideal launchpad for air mobility innovation. The aircraft operates quietly with zero emissions. The project initially focuses on routes between Narita, Haneda, and Tokyo. Future expansion could include additional destinations. Joby's design allows vertical takeoff like a helicopter before transitioning to forward flight. This reduces noise and environmental impact. The announcement follows setbacks in the industry, including Volocopter's insolvency filing. The German startup had aimed for a 2025 launch. Volocopter faced delays after failing to secure engine certification in time for Paris Olympics test flights. The market remains competitive despite challenges. – AFP
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Japan's ANA to roll out electric air taxis by 2027
TOKYO, Aug 7 — Airline ANA said Thursday that, together with a US start-up, it hopes to have electric 'air taxis' whizzing over Japan from as early as 2027. ANA and California-based Joby Aviation said they will establish a joint venture with a view to deploying more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft. Flying taxies will 'revolutionise our air mobility', Koji Shibata, president and CEO of ANA, said in a statement Tuesday. An ANA spokesman told AFP on Thursday that the aircraft, designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 320km/h, could be in service from as early as 2027. The project primarily envisages trips between Narita and Haneda airports and Tokyo, although the routes can diversify in the future. Currently, a car or train ride between central Tokyo and Narita typically takes an hour or longer, but Joby's five-seater can shorten this to around 15 minutes, ANA said. There are no price details yet, but ANA wants to make the service as affordable as possible for the general public, a spokesman told AFP. ANA and Joby will make a public flight demonstration of the vehicles at the Osaka Expo in October. 'Where ancient wisdom, legendary craftsmanship and soaring ambition converge — that's Japan', said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. 'And that makes it an extraordinary launchpad for redefining the future of air mobility'. Joby's aircraft lift off like a helicopter, then transition to fly forward like a plane 'with minimal acoustic impact and zero operating emissions', according to the firm. In December, flying taxi startup Volocopter said it was filing for insolvency, days after another German company in the field, Lilium, was saved from collapse. Volocopter had been aiming to enter the market in 2025 with its two-seater 'Volocity' electric air taxi model. It suffered a setback when it had to cancel test flights in Paris during this summer's Olympics at short notice after the certification for its aircraft engine didn't come through in time. — AFP
Sinar Daily
6 days ago
- Business
- Sinar Daily
Electric 'air taxis' could debut in Japan from 2027
ANA and California-based Joby Aviation said they will establish a joint venture with a view to deploying more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft. 07 Aug 2025 05:54pm An ANA spokesman told AFP on Thursday that the aircraft, designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph (320km/h), could be in service from as early as 2027. - Photo source: Joby Aviation TOKYO - Airline ANA said Thursday that, together with a US start-up, it hopes to have electric "air taxis" whizzing over Japan from as early as 2027. ANA and California-based Joby Aviation said they will establish a joint venture with a view to deploying more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft. Flying taxies will "revolutionise our air mobility", Koji Shibata, president and CEO of ANA, said in a statement Tuesday. An ANA spokesman told AFP on Thursday that the aircraft, designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph (320km/h), could be in service from as early as 2027. The project primarily envisages trips between Narita and Haneda airports and Tokyo, although the routes can diversify in the future. Currently, a car or train ride between central Tokyo and Narita typically takes an hour or longer, but Joby's five-seater can shorten this to around 15 minutes, ANA said. There are no price details yet, but ANA wants to make the service as affordable as possible for the general public, a spokesman told AFP. ANA and Joby will make a public flight demonstration of the vehicles at the Osaka Expo in October. "Where ancient wisdom, legendary craftsmanship and soaring ambition converge -- that's Japan", said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. "And that makes it an extraordinary launchpad for redefining the future of air mobility". Joby's aircraft lift off like a helicopter, then transition to fly forward like a plane "with minimal acoustic impact and zero operating emissions", according to the firm. In December, flying taxi startup Volocopter said it was filing for insolvency, days after another German company in the field, Lilium, was saved from collapse. Volocopter had been aiming to enter the market in 2025 with its two-seater "Volocity" electric air taxi model. It suffered a setback when it had to cancel test flights in Paris during this summer's Olympics at short notice after the certification for its aircraft engine didn't come through in time. - AFP More Like This US producer-musician Sean "Diddy" Combs gestures in the press room during the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is to be sentenced in October for his conviction on prostitution-related charges, is seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump, one of his lawyers said August 5, 2025. "It's my understanding that we've reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon," Nicole Westmoreland told CNN in an interview. Trump has indicated, however, that he is unlikely to grant a pardon to the 55-year-old Combs. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
