Buffett-Backed Firm to Operate ‘Pay-Per-Flight’ Experience in Japan

The firm on Wednesday picked the aerospace arm of Warren Buffett-backed Japanese conglomerate Marubeni as its operating partner in the country, where it expects to launch during the World Expo 2025 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 payload, which maxes out at 250 pounds, it can stay in the air for about 10-17 minutes or 8-15 sm. Unlike eVTOL air taxis, which commonly incorporate fixed wings, Hexa uses 18 electric motors and propellers to hover rather than cruise.

But Lift isn’t selling the aircraft to airlines or operators, at least in the traditional sense.

Though Hexa technically weighs more than 254 pounds—the limit for FAA Part 103 ultralight aircraft—Lift skirts this by claiming that 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 spin. The company already has begun training first-time flyers as part of its debut U.S. tour, launched in March at Florida’s Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL).

The idea, according to Lift, is to make a typically expensive or inaccessible experience available to all, similar to indoor skydiving. U.S. manufacturer Pivotal, for example, is designing a single-pilot eVTOL called Helix. But rather than pay by the flight, customers will need to buy it outright for $190,000.

Lift and Marubeni so far have completed Hexa demonstration flights in Osaka, where the aircraft is expected to make its Japan debut, as well as an exhibition at a convention in Tokyo. According to the company, the aircraft drew plenty of attention, including from long-standing Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

“Our demonstrations in Osaka and Tokyo have shown 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 them the perfect partner as we make the dream of flight a reality for people across Japan.”

There is no analog for the FAA’s Part 103 in Japan, so Lift needed permission from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau—which analyzed its test program and safety data—to conduct the test flights. The company will likely require a similar approval to launch its pay-per-flight offering, and Marubeni appears willing to bet that the green light is on the horizon.

Like this story? We think you'll also like the Future of FLYING newsletter sent every Thursday afternoon. Sign up now.