Japan Ramping Up Advanced Air Mobility Interests

Japan is ramping up its interests in advanced air mobility (AAM) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with several recent announcements regarding partnerships for vertiports and operators.

Skyports, a UK-based vertiport and infrastructure developer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore the development and integration of vertiport infrastructure, including parking and charging facilities, for air taxis and other AAM applications in a network of parking lots in Japan.

Skyports partnered with PARK24, Kanematsu Group, a trading company, and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., focusing primarily in Osaka and other urban areas, and will examine existing facilities which might be appropriate for AAM operations.

Urban-Air Port, also UK-based, recently partnered with Tokyo-based Blue Innovation, an autonomous drone and robotics solutions provider. Urban-Air Port will use its vertiport design to test Blue Innovation’s Blue Earth Platform Port, a vertiport information system. The system will provide status data of vertiports, including operational status, wind direction and speed, and more.

Blue Innovation began working with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan and the University of Tokyo on AAM and related issues in 2016.