Air taxi firm cites safety issues in dropping Osaka Expo flights

SkyDrive Inc., a Japanese air taxi startup, on Thursday cited persistent challenges in addressing safety and other technological development issues as the reason for abandoning its plan to offer commercial flights at next year's World Exposition in Osaka.

SkyDrive sought to develop a flying taxi that can carry up to three people to showcase its technology at the expo as one of the event's main attractions, but it decided last month to withdraw the plan and only perform demo flights without passengers.

"As we moved ahead with the development, we found more and more unexpected problems, including those related to safety," SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa told reporters after a press conference for a tie-up with Kyushu Railway Co.

The company expects to take more time to develop key components such as batteries and motors than it initially planned.

SkyDrive, known for its demonstration of Japan's first public test flight of a manned flying car in 2020, followed Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. in scrapping plans to offer air taxi services at the exposition to take place from April 13 through Oct. 13 next year.

Still, Japan Airlines Co. and a group of ANA Holdings Inc. and U.S. flying car maker Joby Aviation Inc. are gearing up to provide such services. ANA Holdings is the parent company of All Nippon Airways Co.

But there is no change in SkyDrive's business plan, the company said, as it continues to aim to obtain type certification from Japanese regulators as early as 2026 to roll out its electric vertical take-off and landing model at home and abroad.

The startup is planning to develop a vehicle that can fly 15 to 40 kilometers, with the maximum speed reaching 100 km per hour, according to the company.

SkyDrive said at the press conference that it will launch a feasibility study with Kyushu Railway, a railway operator in the southernmost of Japan's four main islands, for flying taxi services in the region. This follows its recently signed partnership with Suzuki Motor Corp. for the production of flying cars.

Fukuzawa said the services, if launched, will help boost tourism in the Kyushu region, known for many hot springs, scenic nature landscapes and historical sites, attracting more domestic and overseas travelers.

"There will be huge demand for foreign visitors to see the beautiful landscapes from above," he said.

© KYODO