A flying vehicle makes its debut flight in front of visitors at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo on Monday. Photo by The Japan News via Washington Post
Osaka: A flying vehicle made a successful demo flight in front of visitors at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo on Monday.
The one-person vehicle, named Hexa, circled about 10 meters above the port for about seven minutes in front of a large group of spectators. The aircraft was developed by US-based Lift Aircraft Inc. and operated by Marubeni Corp.
Adorned with Expo-inspired designs and colors on its body, the vehicle took off from the Vertiport on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Konohana Ward, Osaka. The aircraft's initial flight was originally scheduled for Sunday on the day the Expo opened, but it was canceled due to bad weather.
During the Expo, there are plans for four vehicles, each developed by different domestic and overseas companies, to fly around the Expo venue.
Demo flights of Hexa are set to take place through June 8, mainly on weekends. From July, there will be flights of an aircraft developed by SkyDrive Inc., a start-up company in Aichi Prefecture.
Another vehicle, developed by Britain's Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd. and operated by Marubeni, is set to make demo flights from the port to an outside location.
An aircraft developed by ANA Holdings, Inc. and Joby Aviation Inc. is also planned to make a flight around the Expo venue.
