Public Flight Showcases Personal Air Mobility at Osaka’s Smart Mobility Expo
LIFT Aircraft Takes Flight in Osaka
LIFT Aircraft marked a major milestone this week with a public demonstration of its HEXA aircraft at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The HEXA flight at World Expo 2025 took place at the specially built “EXPO Vertiport” in the Smart Mobility area, designed to showcase new transportation technology to a global audience.
The flight was the result of a collaboration between LIFT Aircraft and Japanese partners Marubeni and Marubeni Aerospace. Both LIFT Aircraft Founder and CEO Matthew Chasen and Marubeni CSO Tomomichi Mizuno were on site to witness the event.
In his remarks during the opening ceremony, Chasen thanked the partners and event organizers. He said, “the Expo committee, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, and JCAB [Japan Civil Aviation Bureau] for their vision in constructing this and other vertiports around Osaka – some of the first in the world – and for allowing us to demonstrate HEXA here at Expo.”
Personal Air Mobility for the Public
The demonstration was part of the “Future Society Showcase Project Exhibition,” a major feature of World Expo 2025. The flight introduced many attendees to eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) technology for the first time.
“We’re bringing the future of personal air transportation to life for Expo attendees,” said Chasen.
Throughout the duration of the Expo, LIFT will continue to offer flight demonstrations. Visitors also have a chance to experience what it feels like to fly HEXA using full-motion VR flight simulators. These public experiences are part of LIFT’s larger goal: building public understanding and support for personal air mobility.
Preparing for Commercial Operations in Osaka
The demonstration comes just months ahead of LIFT Aircraft’s planned commercial launch in Osaka this summer. The company will soon offer flight operations that allow members of the public to train and pilot the HEXA aircraft themselves.
This marks an important step toward making personal flight widely available. With no pilot’s license required to fly HEXA, LIFT is working to make vertical flight both accessible and safe.
About LIFT Aircraft
LIFT Aircraft has tested its platform with the United States Air Force and is focused on bringing personal flight experiences to a broad audience. Beyond recreational use, the technology is also being developed to support emergency response and defense operations.
To learn more, visit www.liftaircraft.com.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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