Economy Japan will subsidize vertiports for flying cars

[thomas]

The Ministry of Transport aims to facilitate the real-world application of aerial vehicles by subsidizing half the cost of building the nation's inaugural vertiports, with a maximum grant of JPY 50 million (approximately USD313,500) for each location. To be constructed by local authorities and businesses, these vertiports will serve as hubs for air taxis to take off and land.

Post-construction, the ministry intends to assess these sites and use the insights to formulate construction standards for future vertiports, targeting to set these guidelines by the fiscal year starting April 2026. To kickstart this project, the ministry will choose four locations via a competitive application process that will be open until July 12. The call is open to local governments and private companies, who will build, manage, and operate these vertical ports.

Photo credit: Jiji​

These facilities will comprise areas for takeoff and landing, taxiways, parking zones, hangars, charging stations and passenger waiting lounges. The construction of these facilities is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal 2024, with trial flights scheduled for the following year. Post-construction, each vertiport will gather data on the operation and utilization of its facilities to identify construction challenges and necessary improvements. This data will be reflected in the development of the new guidelines, which will outline optimal facility layouts and standards for hangar and passenger lounge sizes. Flying cars, also known as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, hold significant potential for a diverse range of applications, including emergency medical transport, travel to remote islands and mountainous regions, and urban taxi services.

Japan to subsidize construction of first vertiports for flying cars

Post-construction, the transport ministry will use operational and utilization data from the facilities to develop guidelines for the construction of future vertiports.

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I remember reading in the 1950's how by now we would all have flying cars and be living on Mars , LOL.