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Japan teams up with Uber, airlines to develop flying taxis
Japan is hoping to reach for the skies with new urban transport options in its congested cities.
Japan’s ministry of economy, trade and industry and the ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism tapped a group of companies to develop airborne taxi transport, according to unnamed government officials.
There are about 20 firms involved in talks to develop flying cars including Uber, Toyota backed startup Cartivator, and airlines ANA and Japan Airlines.
Interestingly, rivals Airbus and Boeing Co are also both on board.
Representatives from the companies and ministry officials will meet later this week to draft a development plan and the aim is to have a working prototype up and running in less than a decade.
An Uber spokesperson confirmed its involvement but declined to elaborate.
Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry Hiroshige Seko recently spoke of a need to explore airborne vehicles to ease congestion and to connect remote islands and isolated areas.
Uber has already invested millions in developing its own air-taxi business and set an ambitious target of beginning commercial operations by about 2023.
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