PLANA has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with SkyTaxi (SoratobuTaxi Co., Ltd) of Japan for 50 hybrid eVTOL CP-01 currently under development. As per the contract, the initial 10 aircrafts will be delivered in 2030, followed by an additional 40 by 2040.
PLANA and SkyTaxi will collaborate on the development of AAM aircraft, operational concepts, and interior design concepts that cater to the needs of 'air taxi' operators, market analysis, and demonstrations. It is also planned to develop cross-border AAM air routes utilizing the CP-01, which will be supplied by PLANA in the future.
"This collaborative project between PLANA and SkyTaxi will have a huge impact on the global AAM industry by players from Asia," said Takuto Hojo, CEO of SkyTaxi. "We are committed to developing the best business with PLANA so that we can be a model case for one of Asia's leading AAM industries."
"With the signing of this letter of intent and business cooperation, we have opened up a huge potential market in Japan, and for the first time in the world, we are looking at cross-border travel," said Braden J. Kim, CEO, PLANA. "We will proceed with the development of the aircraft according to the roadmap we have designed and continue to develop more optimized utilization models by understanding the specificities of each country's market."
SkyTaxi is a Japanese start-up formed last year by the Daiho Taxi Group. The company is currently training pilots, introducing new aircraft, and conducting operational tests. They are preparing to launch air routes that will connect Osaka's city centers, including Umeda and Namba, world heritage and sightseeing destinations all over Japan, as well as Kansai and Kobe airports.
In the future, SkyTaxi plans to launch long-distance operations focused on the tourism industry, with eVTOL.