Skyports, a well-known company that builds flying bases, has signed a new deal to help start electric air taxi routes in Japan. Most electric air taxi companies have already cleared their main safety tests, so now the big focus is on making the landing areas and flight paths ready for real daily use.
Air taxis need special small airports called vertiports to take off and land. However, building these systems requires much more work, like finding the best spots for landing pads and planning the safest routes for local communities. To do this properly, city officers, flight companies, and tech businesses must work together.
Japan is one of the best places in the world to use flying taxis because it has many mountains and long coastlines. Travel by cars and trains in areas like Oita Prefecture can take a very long time. Because of these transport problems, local leaders in Oita want to bring air taxis to help people travel much faster.
The plan will start small by offering sightseeing rides around Beppu Bay and quick trips between Beppu and Yufuin. Later, the project will grow to connect larger cities like Oita City, Beppu, Yufuin, and the main Oita Airport.
Skyports was chosen for this project because of its strong global experience in planning flight paths and vertiport locations. Headquartered in London with main offices in Dubai and New York, the company will work alongside local leaders and aircraft makers to set up the network, although specific aircraft brands have not been named yet. At the same time, Japanese flying car maker SkyDrive is expanding its work overseas.
SkyDrive and its partner Suzuki recently joined with Air India to bring electric air vehicles to India for emergency medical supplies and delivery services. Skyports has been testing and creating landing pads around the world for over five years. Last year, the company shared a design for a new vertiport in Abu Dhabi that will connect major places like Khalifa Port, Al Bateen, and Yas Island for both passengers and delivery drones.