Japan's largest bank and 14 other companies plan to launch commercial air taxi services in western Japan by 2028, Kyodo News reports. The project will cover the Kansai region, including Osaka and Kyoto.
For transportation, it is planned to use the eVTOL electric vertical takeoff and landing planes of the Japanese SkyDrive company, designed for a pilot and two passengers.
The project participants will study the necessary infrastructure and the prospects of demand from tourists. By the summer of 2027 they intend to resolve the issue of establishing a joint company. The main problem remains the lack of landing sites in dense urban areas.