The company on Wednesday chose the aerospace arm of Warren Buffett-backed Japanese conglomerate Marubeni as its operating partner in the country, where it plans to launch during the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.

Lift’s Hexa is a pinwheel-shaped eVTOL designed for a single occupant, controlled using a simple joystick or touchscreen interface. Depending on the payload, which reaches a maximum of 250 pounds, it can stay in the air for approximately 10 to 17 minutes or 8 to 15 sm. Unlike eVTOL air taxis, which typically incorporate fixed wings, Hexa uses 18 electric motors and propellers to hover rather than navigate.

But Lift doesn’t sell the plane to airlines or operators, at least in the traditional sense.

Although Hexa technically weighs more than 254 pounds – the limit for FAA Part 103 ultralight aircraft – Lift gets around this by claiming the extra weight comes from safety equipment such as floats.

Under Part 103 rules, no pilot certification is required to fly. So Lift decided to get creative and offer a pay-per-flight experience, where customers can learn to fly Hexa for about an hour before taking it for a supervised ride. The company has already started training new travelers as part of its program first US tourlaunched in March at Florida’s Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL).

The idea, according to Lift, is to make a typically expensive or inaccessible experience, similar to indoor skydiving, accessible to everyone. The American manufacturer Pivotal, for example, is designing a single-pilot eVTOL called Helix. But rather than paying on the fly, customers will have to buy it directly for $190,000.

Lift and Marubeni have so far conducted Hexa demonstration flights in Osaka, where the aircraft is expected to debut in Japan, as well as a display at a convention in Tokyo. According to the company, the plane has attracted a lot of attention, including from longtime Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

“Our demonstrations in Osaka and Tokyo showed that there is significant demand for personal eVTOL experiences in Japan,” said Matt Chasen, founder and CEO of Lift. “Marubeni Aerospace’s operational excellence and reputation make it the ideal partner as we make the dream of flight a reality for the Japanese.” »

There is no equivalent to FAA Part 103 in Japan. Lift therefore needed permission from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau, which analyzed its test program and safety data, to carry out the test flights. The company will likely need similar approval to launch its pay-per-flight offering, and Marubeni seems willing to bet that the green light is on the horizon.