Vertical Aerospace has today announced a major acceleration of its commercial roadmap in Japan, working in partnership with Marubeni Corporation, one of Japan’s largest trading and investment companies with deep experience in aviation, infrastructure and mobility.
“Together, the companies are advancing plans for a future Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) route network across the country, marking a significant step toward the commercial deployment of electric air taxi services in Japan,” said Vertical in a press release. “Ahead of this, the companies are progressing plans for piloted demonstration flights in the Osaka Bay area, targeted for 2026.
Vertical is working closely with Marubeni and other partners to develop a scalable AAM route network in Japan. One flagship corridor under evaluation in the Kansai region could see Valo reduce travel times by almost 80% compared with ground transport, while operating quietly with zero-emissions, said the company.
Uses cases being progressed include premium tourism and major events such as rapid access from major urban centres to scenic destinations such as Osaka to Awaji Island, Shodoshima, and air taxi services to support transportation for international exhibitions and large-scale events. Another use-case is an airport shuttle network and integrated connections, providing fast, first- and last-mile links to major transport hubs and airports, e.g. Izumisano to Osaka and Kobe. The companies are also evaluating essential services operations, supporting time-critical medical and logistics transport e.g. emergency response coverage in Osaka-Hyogo district.
The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has already accepted Vertical’s application into the type validation programme in 2023, “providing a clear certification roadmap for entry into service,” said Vertical. Vertical is targeting airliner-level safety type certification in 2028 for Valo with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which will be followed by JCAB validation.
Meanwhile, Marubeni has formalised its commitment through pre-delivery slot reservation payments for the first 25 out of 200 Valo aircraft while Vertical has been engaged in discussions with partners in the region to develop the operating infrastructure as well as aftermarket support in Japan.
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