The mass production of "flying cars" to provide visitors with air taxi services at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka is unlikely to be completed in time for the event's opening due to delays in safety certification, four operators involved in the project have said.
Japan had planned for the air taxi service to be among the expo's main attractions, with the two- to five-seater vehicles expected to provide access to the event's venue, set up on the artificial Yumeshima island in Osaka Bay.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura is seeking to use the expo as an opportunity to introduce the idea of flying cars being implemented into society, but with safety hurdles not yet cleared and with only around a year and a half left until the expo opens, a limited number of aircraft are expected to be operational in time.