Joby, ANA and Nomura Real Estate Development (NRE) plan to jointly explore the design, location, operation and financing of vertiport locations that will serve as the backbone of future commercial air taxi services in Japan.

The partners will primarily focus on locations in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, expanding over time to include numerous urban areas across greater Japan. Joby recently became a technical advisor to the Tokyo Bay eSG Project, led by NRE and sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which will demonstrate various multi-modal mobility solutions including a floating landing port in the Tokyo Bay. They will also work with a wide range of local stakeholders to introduce the benefits of the technology and support community acceptance of air taxi services.

Joby and ANA, Japan's largest airline group holding company, first partnered in 2022. Both are members of Japan's Public-Private Conference for the Future Air Mobility Revolution, established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to accelerate the adoption of aerial ridesharing in the country.

Also in 2022, Joby applied to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to validate its FAA type certification, and continues to work closely with regulatory officials, including through ongoing familiarisation activities, to prepare for commercial operations in the country.