A Survey of Advanced Air Mobility Use Cases and Implementation Challenges in Japan: A Systems Approach Perspective
Yusuke Mihara
Abstract. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is envisioned as a new form of aerial transportation designed to move people efficiently at low altitudes. The goal of AAM is to democratize access to air travel. Nevertheless, its realization depends not solely on vehicle technology but on a holistic systems approach that integrates vehicles, infrastructure, and operations. This paper discusses representative AAM use cases in Japan, focusing on air taxis and medical emergency transport, and identifies current issues toward establishing a holistic system design.
Keywords
Advanced Air Mobility, System Design, Holistic Systems Approach, Use Case Analysis
Published online 7/20/2026, 6 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Yusuke Mihara, A Survey of Advanced Air Mobility Use Cases and Implementation Challenges in Japan: A Systems Approach Perspective, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 69, pp 425-430, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904251-77
The article was published as article 77 of the book CEAS – AIDAA Conference 2025
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] W. Johnson, and C. Silva, “NASA concept vehicles and the engineering of advanced air mobility aircraft”, The Aeronautical Journal, Vol.126, p.59-91, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1017/aer.2021.92
[2] Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry, “Concept of Operations for Advanced Air Mobility”, Public-Private Council for Air Mobility Revolution, 2024.
[3] M. Nakano, et al, “The Mechanism of Flying Cars: How System Design Integrating Technology and Service Drives a Mobility Revolution”, The Daily Industry News, 2019.
[4] J. Holden, and N. Goel, “Fast-forwarding to a future of on-demand urban air transportation”, Uber Elevate, 2016.
[5] P. Vascik, and J. Hansman, “Scaling constraints for urban air mobility operations: Air traffic control, ground infrastructure, and noise”, 2018 aviation technology, integration, and operations conference, p.3849, 2018. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2018-3849
[6] D. Gunady, S. Patel, and D. DeLaurentis, “A system-of-systems approach to analyzing future advanced air mobility cargo operations”, IEEE 17th Annual System of Systems Engineering Conference, p.368-373, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1109/SOSE55472.2022.9812637
[7] A. Kirste, E. Stumpf, “Multidisciplinary Optimization of Advanced Air Mobility Fleet Operations”, AIAA SCITECH 2025 Forum, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2025-2170
[8] The Vertical Flight Society, “eVTOL Aircraft Directory”, eVTOL.news, 2025.
[9] Y. Mihara, M. Nakano, ” Modelling and Simulation of the Impulsive Load in the Emergent Landing of an Urban Air Mobility for Designing a Safe Vertiport”, The Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, Vol.69, No.3, p.98-104, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2322/jjsass.69.98
[10] Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism East Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, “Airport and Heliport List”, https://www.cab.mlit.go.jp/tcab/conditions/02.html, Access 2025-11-08, 2025.
[11] Tokyo Fire Department, “Establishment of standards for rooftop emergency takeoff/landing areas”, https://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/lfe/office_adv/heri_chaku.html, Access 2025-11-08, 2022.
[12] Y.Mihara, P. Pawnlada, M. Nakano, et al, ” Cost analysis of eVTOL configuration design for an air ambulances system in Japan”, Council of Engineering Systems Scholars and Universities 2021. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317285
[13] Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, “Haneda Airport for Tomorrow”, https://www.mlit.go.jp/koku/haneda/public/pdf/haneda_Pamphlet_english_vol2.pdf, Access 2025-11-08, 2020
[14] Emergency Medical Network of Helicopter and Hospital, “What is a Doctor Helicopter?”, https://hemnet.jp/know-about, Access 2025-11-08, 2024.
[15] Y.Motomura, et al, “Changes in doctor helicopter activities and air medical transport in large-scale disasters in Japan”, Japan Journal of Disaster Medicine, Vol.29, No.1, 2024.
[16] Y.Mihara, M.Nakano, et al, “Airframe design optimization and simulation of a flying car for medical emergencies”, International Journal of Automation Technology, Vol.16, No.2, p.183-196, 2022. https://doi.org/10.20965/ijat.2022.p0183
[17] A.Nakamoto, et al, “Analysis of Newly Available Takeoff and Landing Sites for Emergency Medical Flying Cars”, Journal of Japanese Society for Aeromedical Services, Vol.26, No.1, 2025.
