Japan startup's 'flying car' makes demo flight in Tokyo for 1st time

Japanese startup SkyDrive Inc. conducted the first demonstration flight of its "flying car" in Tokyo on Tuesday, as the company aims to launch commercial operations in 2028 in parts of Japan.

During the demo flight, jointly conducted by Mitsubishi Estate Co. and Kanematsu Corp., the remotely operated unmanned aircraft flew over Tokyo Bay for approximately three and a half minutes, covering a distance of roughly 150 meters.

The battery-powered SD-05 aircraft, equipped with 12 rotors and seating for three, is capable of flying 15 to 40 kilometers.

Due to its compact size and light weight, the aircraft can land at many more locations than conventional helicopters and other aircraft that require large spaces, according to the developer.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive, said that sometime after 2030, fares could fall to "about twice the cost of a taxi ride, or possibly even less."

"I believe adoption will increase rapidly because, compared with a taxi, the travel speed would be four to five times faster. Given that level of speed and time savings, people might feel the pricing is only slightly higher," he said.