Joby Aviation Inc., a company developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has partnered with ANA Holdings Inc. and Nomura Real Estate Development Co. Ltd., one of Japan’s largest real estate developers, on the development of take-off and landing infrastructure, known as vertiports, to support the commercialization of its electric air taxi service across Japan.

The three companies plan to jointly explore the design, location, operation, and financing of vertiport locations that will serve as the backbone of future commercial air taxi services in Japan.

The partners will primarily focus on locations in the metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, expanding over time to include numerous urban areas across greater Japan. Joby recently became a technical advisor to the Tokyo Bay eSG Project, led by NRE and sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which will demonstrate various multi-modal mobility solutions including a floating landing port in the Tokyo Bay. The partners will also work with a wide range of local stakeholders to introduce the benefits of the technology and support community acceptance of air taxi services.

Joby and ANA HD, Japan’s largest airline group holding company, first partnered in 2022 to bring electric air taxi services to Japan. NRE, one of the largest real estate developers in Japan, joins Joby and ANA HD as they seek to develop air taxi services in Japan. Both Joby and ANA HD are members of Japan’s Public-Private Conference for the Future Air Mobility Revolution, established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to accelerate the adoption of aerial ridesharing in the country.

Also in 2022, Joby announced it had applied for validation of its Federal Aviation Administration  type certification, once received, with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau. Joby continues to work closely with regulatory officials from JCAB, including through ongoing familiarization activities, to prepare for commercial operations in the country.

Joby’s air taxi can carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and no in-flight emissions.