A pair of California-based air taxi companies are jostling for position in Japan, a highly urbanised country that start-ups Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation view as a strong potential market for their all-electric aircraft.
About a week after Joby flew in the shadow of Mount Fuji, Archer disclosed on 7 November a deal to deliver up to 100 of its Midnight air taxis to newly established operator Soracle, which is backed by Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation.
Archer says the deal’s value totals roughly $500 million, and that it includes pre-delivery payments “based on certain milestones in advance of aircraft delivery”.
Notably, the collaboration will see Archer’s Midnight aircraft participate in a public flight demonstration sometime during the World Expo in Osaka, set to run 13 April-13 October. Archer and Soracle do not specify a launch date for commercial air taxi operations in Japan.
“We will provide safe and reliable services to passengers by making the most of the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated at Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation,” says Yukihiro Ota, Soracle’s chief executive.
Archer is already working with the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) to obtain certifications necessary to operate in Japan and intends ”to formally apply for concurrent type certificate validation from JCAB in the near future”.
Joby arguably has a head-start in developing an air taxi system in Japan, including through a partnership with ANA Holdings, parent of All Nippon Airways, that was established in February 2022 to explore developing “aerial rideshare service” in the country. And it has a longstanding partnership with automotive manufacturer Toyota.
On 2 November, Joby completed its ”first international demonstration flights” in collaboration with Toyota, founder and chief executive JoeBen Bivert said during Joby’s 6 November earnings call.
Joby’s test-flights in Japan were completed using its third production prototype, which rolled off its pilot production line in Marina, California about three months ago.
“The flights were more than just a demonstration of our capabilities,” Bivert says. “They were a celebration of our strategic partnership with Toyota and everything we’ve achieved in nearly seven years of collaboration.”
Bevirt says that Joby’s partnership with Toyota is “the strongest it’s ever been”, as the manufacturer has “worked shoulder-to-shoulder with us on the production line”.
“They’ve helped us design tools, they’ve helped us lay out factories,” he says. “They’ve provided parts that go on our aircraft.”
Last month, Joby secured a commitment for $500 million in additional funding from Toyota, to be paid in two equal tranches, providing a boost to the air taxi maker as it pushes to certificate its aircraft and transition to operations.
More exhibition flights are scheduled soon. Joby’s aircraft is now being shipped to South Korea, where the company will participate in the country’s K-UAM Grand Challenge – an initiative aimed at supporting the commercialisation of air taxis on the Korean peninsula.
The company also recently hosted in Marina representatives from the British, Australian and Japanese aviation regulation authorities for a “week-long tech familiarisation session”, Bevirt says.
Both Archer and Joby are seeking to secure type certifications of their eVTOL aircraft with the FAA next year.
The developers have similarly squared off in the Middle East, which could be an early proving ground for electric air taxis as the region’s desert metropolises appear eager to launch commercial operations.
