Japan Airlines is apparently seeking to diversify its operations and enter into the flying car business in the near future. The company aims to launch its own flying car service in the fiscal year 2025.
According to a NikkeiAsia report, Japan Airlines will start a passenger transportation service that connects commuters to airports and other tourist attractions in the Mie Prefecture and other regions as well. JAL aims to develop the business as a service similar to taxis, which will carry travelers to various locations across the country. Notably, the news arrives amid the automobile industry seeing an increasing focus and competition in the flying car business across the globe.
To launch this service, JAL would also be required to take meet the required safety regulations in Japan. The reports adds that the company will use the aircraft built by Volocopter, which is a German startup that it had invested in back in 2020. This vehicle is a two seater drone type aircraft called eVTOL (stands for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), which offers a cruising range of 35 kilometers and can fly at up to 110 km per hour as well.
At the moment, JAL has signed a cooperation agreement with Mie Prefecture to begin trials for the commercialization of this service. The trials conducted include short distance flights of around 20 kilometers, after which, it will move towards mdeium to long distance travels that are between 50 to 150 kilometers. This service is set to begin commercial operations in the fiscal year 2025 and is expected to connect tourist destinations from the prefecture’s main airport in the beginning.
RELATED:
- TSMC rumored to build its Japanese chip plant with Sony and other partners
- Japan and Finland to join hands for the development of 6G network
- Japan wants TSMC and Sony to build 20-nanometre chip production plant
