Asia-Pacific AAM Report 1H 2023

JAPAN AAM REPORT FEATURE
The past 12 months have borne a lot of fruit for the manufacturers of
the EH216 eVTOL as in July 2022, it conducted the first above-sea aerial
tourism flight demonstrations in Japan in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima
Prefecture. EHang also successfully completed Japan’s first point-topoint
aerial commute flight demonstration in Oita City, Oita Prefecture.
EHang has also dabbled in autonomous flight, flying an aircraft
with the support of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism (MLTI) and other partners. This marked “Japan’s
first manned autonomous eVTOL flight,” Xin Fang, EHang’s Chief
Operating Officer, said.
Orders-wise, the Guangzhou-based firm received an order for 50
EH216 eVTOLs from AirX - further growing its presence in Japan.
Wisk
Wisk is the curve ball that few saw coming this early as its prominent
difference from the other OEMs is that its eVTOLs will operate
autonomously. In May, the Mountain View, California firm signed
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with JAL to introduce its
eVTOLs in Japanese cities. Under the agreement, the two parties will
work together with JCAB and other government agencies in Japan
regarding type certification, demonstration flights, and ultimately, the
implementation of autonomous aircraft.
“From our perspective, a local partner like Japan Airlines is critical to
future success in this important market,” a Wisk spokesperson said.
The Infrastructure Progress
Japan’s all-in approach extends beyond eVTOLs as the country knows
that without the required infrastructure in place, all the electric aircraft
preparing for take-off will remain grounded indefinitely.
year. In 2022, the company secured projects in Tokyo and Osaka,
whereby it will conduct a series of assessments to pave the way
for the successful integration of vertiports and AAM technology.
Skyports aims to kickstart commercial operations around 2025,
which means it would have hit the ground running prior to the
commencement of the World Expo.
A 2022 study by Roland-Berger and Rolls-Royce predicted that the
Asia-Pacific region will lead the global AAM market, with Japan as
the top market in terms of volume of VTOL aircraft,” Atsushi Okada,
Japan Country Manager, Skyports, said.
“Skyports recognized the strong potential for AAM deployment in
Japan and began our work in the country in 2020 when we signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kanematsu Corporation.
Our decision was driven by three compelling applications in the
context of Japan: intracity connectivity, urban to rural connectivity,
and disaster relief missions.
“Skyports is committed to ensuring that the necessary vertiport
infrastructure is in place as all parts of the ecosystem move ahead.”
EHang
EHang has a lot of skin in the game not just from an OEM
standpoint, but as an investor in AAM infrastructure. Over the past
couple of years, EHang has partnered with the Japanese aerospace
research institution MASC and air mobility digital platform AirX to
develop the necessary infrastructure required for a fully-functioning
AAM ecosystem.
Japan’s AAM-enabled future
is imminent and bright.”
To ensure a turbulent-free journey, the Public-Private Committee
for Advanced Air Mobility was established in 2018 to focus on
establishing vertiports and other types of infrastructure that will play
an instrumental role in the daily operations of eVTOLs.
In April 2023, the Chinese electric aircraft developer was inducted as
a member of Japan's Public-Private Committee for AAM. As the only
A number of key players have also risen to the challenge of creating
a fully-functioning ecosystem that will serve as the lifeblood of
Japan's vision of becoming a leader in the eVTOL market not just in
Asia, but potentially around the world.
Skyports
One of the spearheads when it comes to the development of AAM
infrastructure, Skyports has been highly active in Japan over the past
50 | 1H 2023 ASIA-PACIFIC AAM REPORT