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By Takeru Tsuzuki and Kazuki Sato

Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

A consortium of Japanese companies such as Orix Corp. and Japan Airlines will start trialing routes and fares for flying cars, regarded as a next-generation form of transport, later this month.

The trial will use helicopters instead of actual flying cars. It will include leisure flights at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in Konohana Ward, Osaka City, as well as flights connecting two locations in Osaka Prefecture. Fees will be collected for the flights. The aim is to explore flight routes that will be profitable for flying cars as well as fare structures, to prepare for the adoption of the new vehicles.

A flying car is generally defined as an aircraft that moves through the air using electricity and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The consortium was established by five companies, including Tokyo-based Soracle Corp., a firm funded by Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corp.; Tokyo-based AirX Inc., which will help with helicopter operations; and JTB Corp. The trial will be conducted as part of the Osaka prefectural government's research on the use of flying cars for tourism. Up to 80 million yen will be paid out by the prefectural government as a commission fee.

In August, the consortium will conduct sightseeing flights at the Expo, with a helicopter departing from a landing area, traveling around and coming back. The consortium plans to charge the general public at least 100,000 yen per ticket. It is also considering round trips that would connect the Expo site to another destination.

After the flights at the Expo, there are plans to conduct flights connecting two locations in Osaka Prefecture and sightseeing flights near Osaka Bay. Additionally, there is a plan for flights between Osaka City and Kansai Airport, in the prefecture's city of Izumisano, as well as a plan to have a helicopter hop between the roofs of buildings. Fares are expected to range from several thousand yen to several hundred thousand yen per person.

The trial's results will be summarized by the end of fiscal 2025. They will be used to determine flight routes, landing sites and fares for flying cars. The data will also be shared with people in the local tourism industry to incorporate flying cars into tourism plans.

Major barriers to adoption

Flying cars can typically carry several people. In the future, they are expected to be used on a daily basis, like taxis. Some models have a range significantly over 100 kilometers.

However, there are large barriers to commercial flights that will transfer passengers. These include ensuring safety, complying with regulations and achieving profitability. A public-private council has been set up to realize the adoption of flying cars, and in 2022, it announced a roadmap to begin commercial operations in the country by fiscal 2025. However, the goal has yet to be achieved. Commercial flights with flying cars were initially supposed to be one of the highlights of the Expo, but because of delays in development and aircraft certification, only demo flights are being conducted.

Companies that manufacture flying cars, as well as the cars' operators, are trying to move quickly to introduce them. Japan Airlines aims to begin commercial operations as early as 2027. Osaka Metro Co. has teamed up with startup SkyDrive Inc. and plans to start commercial operations in Osaka City as early as 2028.

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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.

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