Society

ANA plans to produce electric-powered flying taxis with U.S. aviation startup

Feb 16 (Xinhua) - Japan's ANA Holdings Inc. will partner with U.S. startup Joby Aviation Inc. with the aim of launching air taxi services here, both companies said Tuesday.

ANA said it plans for the air taxis to be operational to coincide with the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, western Japan.

In a joint press release, ANA Holdings Inc., the parent company of All Nippon Airways Co., and Joby Aviation Inc. said they will collaborate on numerous areas of the joint venture, including infrastructure development, flight operations, traffic management and pilot training.

"Being able to provide our customers with the option to travel rapidly and sustainably from an international airport to a downtown location is very appealing," ANA Holdings Executive Vice President Koji Shibata said in the press release.

ANA is the second Japanese firm to partner with Joby Aviation, following Toyota Motor Corp. saying it invested 394 million U.S. dollars in the U.S. electric aircraft manufacturer in 2020.

For Toyota's part, it will share its know-how in manufacturing cars and electrification knowledge with Joby Aviation, aiming to mass-produce an electric aircraft, according to local media reports.

Joby Aviation has said it plans to get its own airborne taxi service launched in 2024 and has been developing a fully-electric flying taxi that can carry five people including the pilot.

The aerial vehicle will be able to take off and land vertically, will have a range of 241 kilometers and will be capable of reaching speeds of around 320 km per hour, Joby Aviation said.

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