＜Advanced Air Mobility＞ First ever successful test flight for Okinawa Prefecture and the remote islands conducted on June 7 on Iheya Island in Okinawa Prefecture

Four companies--CTI Engineering Co., Ltd., Japan Airport Consultants, Inc., AIRPORT FACILITIES CO., LTD., and AirX Inc.--recently conducted a successful test flight of an advanced air mobility--part of a next-generation transportation system--under the watchful eye of stakeholders and island citizens.　

　

Advanced air mobilities could radically transform the concepts of human mobility and physical distribution, and they have the potential to bring new value and vitality to both daily life and communities. The four companies hope to take advantage of the recent test flight experience to continue helping to achieve the social implementation of advanced air mobilities.

1. Background
In recent years, new concepts and technologies related to human mobility--including MaaS (Mobility as a Service), self-driving cars, bicycle sharing, and electric scooters--have been introduced, and the concept of mobility, including both people and things, is changing. Advanced air mobilities, a new kind of mobility, take advantage of the sky--which is not utilized as often as land for travel--and, if their use becomes widespread, they could help to resolve social issues that include reducing traffic congestion in urban areas as well as CO2 emissions. In Japan, under the leadership of the Public-Private Committee for Advanced Air Mobility, initiatives to pursue public-private partnerships aimed at the social implementation of advanced air mobilities are being promoted, and Osaka, Kansai, Japan Expo 2025 is one such milestone.

　

2. Overview of the recent test flight
The recent test flight was Japan's first such flight within Okinawa Prefecture and over the remote islands. It was also Japan's (and Asia's) first two-point flight over open water. In the past, advanced air mobility test flights have been conducted in more limited areas, but the recent test flight seems to be an important step in terms of full-scale implementation both over the remote islands and in other locations.

　

3. Items verified as a result of the test flight
Through the recent test flight, the four involved companies verified the following items relevant to achieving full-scale social implementation:
　

(1) Gaining an understanding of issues and other challenges related to operations necessary for two-point flights, including those over open water
(2) Obtaining knowledge related to the planning and design of takeoff/landing areas for advanced air mobilities
(3) Obtaining data necessary for considering operations related to takeoff/landing areas for advanced air mobilities and gaining an understanding of the related issues
(4) Gaining an understanding of the environmental load of advanced air mobilities (including noise)
(5) Estimating the social effect of introducing advanced air mobilities

4. Future outlook
We will aim to take advantage of the knowledge gained from the recent test flight in order to conduct demonstration experiments at various locations throughout Japan, consider the possibility of advanced air mobility commercial operations, and otherwise work on the social implementation of advanced air mobilities to mitigate or resolve social issues faced by Japan and create new value.

<Test flight overview>

■ Flight date: June 7, 2023 (Wed.)
■ Flight location: Iheya-son, Okinawa Prefecture, from Yonezaki Camping Ground to Noho Fishing Port
　

　

　

■ Flight testers: CTI Engineering Co., Ltd., Japan Airport Consultants, Inc., AIRPORT FACILITIES CO., LTD., and AirX Inc.
■ Used aircraft: EHang 216 (owned by AirX Inc.)
　Power: electrical, cruising range: 35 km
　

　　

　

■ Flight overview: two-point flight of an advanced air mobility over open water from Yonezaki Camping Ground to Noho Port, flight distance: approximately 2 km (round trip)
■ Flight situation:
　

The advanced air mobility smoothly finished a two-point flight over open water (known as "Iheya Blue").
　　

In addition to stakeholders, the site was toured by local citizens and elementary school students, all of whom checked out the test flight.
　

■ Roles of each company:

CTI Engineering Co., Ltd.	Considering the business model for advanced air mobilities Measuring and evaluating the noise and wind speed in relation to the flight of advanced air mobilities Estimating the social effects of advanced air mobilities
Japan Airport Consultants, Inc.	Overall project coordination Airspace corridor design Considering the specifications of and designing the takeoff/landing area (including lights)
AIRPORT FACILITIES CO., LTD.	Considering takeoff/landing area management and operations Considering ancillary-facility and equipment operations
AirX Inc.	Advanced air mobility provision Flight and safety-related operations Considering reservation and check-in systems