ANA Holdings and Joby Aviation, a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, have announced a successful public flight demonstration of Joby’s air taxi at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
The flight, which was the first of its kind at a world expo, included vertical takeoff, a full transition to wingborne flight, and vertical landing.
The demonstration was conducted as part of Joby and ANA HD’s plan to build a national air taxi ecosystem in Japan, marking the kickoff of the next development phase. Over a period of 13 days, Joby plans to conduct over 20 flights.
JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and Founder of Joby, said, “Japan has led the world in transforming ground transportation with its world-class automotive industry and iconic bullet trains. Now, Japan is poised to lead the world again, this time in the air. With these flights and our world-class partners, we’re now positioned to lean in on the important work of engaging communities, collaborating with regulators and bringing on more partners to make our dream a reality.”
Joby’s aircraft, flying an iconic ANA livery, showcased its quiet, all-electric flight technology for Expo 2025 attendees, with the Expo estimated to attract up to 200,000 visitors per day. The flight demonstrations represent a key step in gaining public acceptance of air taxis and provided valuable data on airspace integration. This data will be used in collaboration with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) for the development of regulatory pathways for advanced air mobility in the region.
Koji Shibata, President and CEO of ANA HD, added, “Joby’s air taxi demonstration flight at the Expo represents a significant step toward bringing our air taxi service to life in Japan. With the support of national and local government officials, as well as private-sector partners helping us build this future together, we intend to create the wings for a new era of air mobility.”
Joby and ANA HD are progressing toward the development of a national air taxi ecosystem in Japan, with plans for a phased rollout beginning in Tokyo. This development is set to include a network of vertiports, pilot training programs, and aircraft maintenance support. The companies are actively engaged with partners across real estate, manufacturing, and local governments. These flight demonstrations advance those efforts and lay the groundwork for the next phase of deployment. Joby has strong connections to Japan, with Toyota as a key investor, and the company conducted a flight at Mount Fuji in 2024.
Joby’s aircraft is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200mph (320 km/h). It is positioned as a fast, clean, and convenient alternative to ground transportation, intended to dramatically reduce travel times, such as cutting hourlong car rides to minutes, alleviating urban congestion, and reducing noise and air pollution in communities.
