An air taxi service set to feature at the 2025 Osaka Expo was tested in a park in the city on Tuesday, in what the prefectural government says is the first time in the country one of the craft has been piloted from the cockpit.

Japan plans for the "flying cars" to be among the expo's main attractions, with the vehicles expected to provide access to the event venue planned to be set up on an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

The test in Osaka Castle Park centered on services to be provided by trading firm Marubeni, one of the five companies selected to operate the flying taxis. It used a U.S.-made, single-seater craft different to the vehicles expected to be deployed for the 184-day event in 2025.