Japan enlists help from consortium of companies to make flying cars

Japan’s government has big plans to enable flying cars in about a decade. A consortium of companies including Uber and Airbus should help with this.

The Japanese Ministry of Commerce has announced the plans in a statement released by, among others, Bloomberg news agency. A consortium of 21 companies has been set up to develop flying cars, and a roadmap is to be drawn up in the coming year; this also means that the plans are still at an early stage. The consortium includes various types of companies, including car manufacturers, airlines and technology companies. Uber, Airbus and Boeing are the most well-known companies that have joined the consortium.

The Japanese government will mainly provide support, including by setting up regulations around flying cars. This should ensure that developments take place in a safe manner and are managed in the right direction. However, there are no detailed plans yet.

Ultimately, in about ten years, there should be cars flying around in Japan. Among other things, the country wants to ensure that a solution is found for the traffic jam problem. Worldwide, several companies are developing flying cars.