Latest news with #Volocity
GMA Network
4 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
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
No more traffic jams in Tokyo? ANA to launch electric flying taxis in Japan by 2027
Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) is preparing to introduce electric air taxis in Japan through a partnership with California-based start-up Joby Aviation, with operations targeted to begin as early as 2027. The two companies announced plans on Thursday to establish a joint venture that aims to deploy over 100 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The five-seater aircraft, intended to carry a pilot and up to four passengers, can travel at speeds of up to 320 kilometres per hour. According to ANA, the initial routes under consideration would connect major transport hubs such as Narita and Haneda airports with central Tokyo. Currently, these journeys typically take over an hour by train or car. The proposed air taxi service could cut this time to roughly 15 minutes. While pricing details have not yet been finalised, ANA told AFP that it hopes to make the service affordable to a broad range of passengers. The first public flight demonstration is expected to take place during the Osaka Expo in October 2025. The aircraft are designed to lift off vertically like helicopters before transitioning to forward flight, similar to aeroplanes. Joby Aviation has stated that its aircraft will operate with minimal noise and produce zero emissions while in use. Joby's founder and chief executive, JoeBen Bevirt, described Japan as a promising location for launching the next generation of air mobility, citing the country's combination of tradition and technological ambition. The announcement comes amid a mixed outlook for the emerging flying taxi sector. In December 2024, German start-up Volocopter filed for insolvency. The company had been developing a two-seater model called Volocity, which was due to debut in 2025. However, Volocopter was forced to cancel planned test flights during the Paris Olympics after failing to obtain the necessary certification for its aircraft engine in time. Another German firm, Lilium, narrowly avoided collapse around the same period after facing financial difficulties. The success of the ANA-Joby partnership will depend on several factors, including regulatory approvals, public acceptance, and the development of take-off and landing infrastructure across urban areas.
Sinar Daily
4 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)
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Electric 'air taxis' could debut in Japan from 2027
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 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. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 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 and California-based Joby Aviation said they will establish a joint venture with a view to deploying more than 100 of the five-seater taxies will "revolutionise our air mobility", Koji Shibata, president and CEO of ANA, said in a statement 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 project primarily envisages trips between Narita and Haneda airports and Tokyo, although the routes can diversify in the 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 are no price details yet, but ANA wants to make the service as affordable as possible for the general public, a spokesman told 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 December, flying taxi startup Volocopter said it was filing for insolvency, days after another German company in the field, Lilium, was saved from had been aiming to enter the market in 2025 with its two-seater "Volocity" electric air taxi 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.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Electric 'air taxis' could debut in Japan from 2027
TOKYO: Airline ANA said Thursday (Aug 7) 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
