ANA Holdings, Joby Plan to Accelerate Air Taxi Deployment in Japan; Will Hold Demonstration Flights at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
- Companies intend to establish joint venture to provide air taxi service in Japan
- Together, the companies plan to deploy more than 100 aircraft in the coming years
- ANA Holdings and Joby will hold public demonstration flights of the ANA-branded Joby aircraft starting Oct. 1 at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
ANA Holdings (ANA HD) and Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced a significant expansion of their relationship to bring electric air taxi service to Japan. Under new terms, the two companies intend to establish a joint venture and plan to deploy more than 100 Joby aircraft within a new air taxi ecosystem across Japan. Starting in Tokyo, ANA HD and Joby are targeting a phased rollout in the coming years. The expanded partnership is intended to accelerate the bold, shared vision of the two companies to transform urban mobility in the region.
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Joby's aircraft flies above the company's flight test facility in Marina, CA. Credit: Joby Aviation
"Our expanded partnership with Joby, a company with exceptional technology and vision, represents a pivotal step forward," said Koji Shibata, President and CEO of ANA HD. "Air taxi service will directly contribute to addressing Japan's urban transportation difficulties, ultimately enhancing regional exchange and providing a new, efficient means of travel. Demonstration flights at the Expo are the first step in addressing that challenge. Alongside our partners, we are dedicated to building this future while adhering to the highest safety standards developed by the ANA Group."
"Where ancient wisdom, legendary craftsmanship and soaring ambition converge—that's Japan. And that makes it an extraordinary launchpad for redefining the future of air mobility," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. "Our vision is bold: to build new pathways in the skies and reimagine everyday life. Together with ANA, we're setting a foundation to do just that—to deliver Joby aircraft and build an entire air transport ecosystem woven into Japan's vibrant cities."
Joby's electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft lifts off like a helicopter then transitions to fly forward like a plane, all with minimal acoustic impact and zero operating emissions. These characteristics make it ideal for applications in congested urban areas. The aircraft is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph (320km/h), offering a fast, clean, and convenient alternative to ground transportation, dramatically reducing travel times (e.g., cutting hourlong car rides to minutes) and alleviating urban congestion, while also reducing noise and air pollution in communities.
ANAHD and Joby also plan to accelerate the development of the necessary ecosystem for the successful implementation of air taxi services across Japan—including a network of vertiports, pilot training programs, and aircraft maintenance support—by further strengthening collaboration with national and local governments, as well as private sector companies. One such partner is Toyota Motor Corporation, a key collaborator and investor in Joby.
Joby will showcase its eVTOL aircraft, featuring a special ANA livery, through public demonstration flights and operations from Oct. 1-13 at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Piloted operations, including vertical takeoffs, full transition to wingborne flight, and landings, will occur at the Expo venue in western Osaka City. Further details on this will be announced closer to the event.
About ANA HOLDINGS
ANAHD was established in 2013 as the largest airline group holding company in Japan, comprising 70 companies.
It offers three distinct airline brands: ANA, Peach, the leading LCC in Japan, and AirJapan, launched in 2024 for international routes covering Asia.
ANA's legacy of superior service has earned SKYTRAX's 5-Star rating every year since 2013, making it the only Japanese airline to win this prestigious designation for 12 consecutive years.
In 2025, ANA was honored with FlightGlobal's Executive Leadership: Asia-Pacific Award for its visionary leadership and strategic growth.
ANA is also a four-time recipient of the ATW Airline of the Year award, recognized for excellence in aviation.
ANAHD has been selected as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index list for eight consecutive years and the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index list for nine consecutive years.
For more information about ANA and ANA HD, please visit: https://www.ana.co.jp/group/en/
About Joby
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi. Joby intends to both operate its fast, quiet, and convenient air taxi service in cities around the world and sell its aircraft to other operators and partners. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, the growth of our manufacturing capabilities, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; plans for, and expected benefits of, our strategic partnership with ANA, including plans to deploy more than 100 aircraft and to participate at EXPO 2025; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations, including the expected benefits of our vertically-integrated business model. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", "intend", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "can have", "likely" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; complexities related to obtaining certification and operating in foreign markets; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 27, 2025, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 8, 2025, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates and beliefs as of the date of this release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
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