Japan has revised its advanced air mobility (AAM) revolution roadmap at a public-private council meeting. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, held the 12th meeting of the Public-Private Council for the Air Mobility Revolution today, March 27 to promote the social implementation of flying cars in Japan.
“Flying cars are expected to be used as a new means of transportation in urban areas, remote islands, and mountainous regions, as well as for emergency transport and rapid delivery of supplies during disasters,” MLIT said after the meeting.
The Public-Private Council for the Air Mobility Revolution was established in 2018, and, following the council’s Roadmap for the Air Mobility Revolution, the public and private sectors have been working together to consider use cases and institutional development related to flying cars.
This roadmap was revised today in preparation for the social implementation of flying cars after the Osaka-Kansai Expo. It now specifies that commercial operation of flying cars will begin between 2027 and 2028, and includes the introduction of new traffic management and remotely controlled passenger transport in the early 2030s, as well as the partial realisation of automated and autonomous operation in the late 2030s. The roadmap outlines the necessary national institutional frameworks and the path for public-private technological development to achieve these goals.
According to the roadmap, in the early 2030s, a national system and framework development for traffic management (including AAM corridors) will be established to accommodate the expansion of operations. A national system for remotely controlled passenger transport will also be set up through public and private sector development of an operations management system to support high-density AAM operations. This will be followed by the “partial realisation” of automated and autonomous operations.
Speaking at the meeting, an unnamed landing and takeoff site operator said it is considering multiple sites within Japan, and based on the roadmap, it recognises the need to accelerate development starting next fiscal year.
It was also decided at the meeting that three additional companies would join the council as members: Osaka Municipal Subway Co., Ltd. Shirogane Giken Co., Ltd., and East Japan Railway Company.
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Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism – Japan
Image: A Joby aircraft flies at the 2025 Osaka Expo (Joby)