Flying taxis may become a means of transport for visitors at the 2025 Expo in Osaka. Mitsui & Co. carried out a test ride with passengers of one from Yumeshima to airports in the Kansai region on Oct. 23. (The Asahi Shimbun)

Photo/Illutration People involved in a demonstration of a Mitsui & Co. helicopter taxi watch it take off in Osaka’s Konohana Ward on Oct. 23. (Nobuhiro Shirai)

OSAKA--Visitors to Osaka's 2025 World Expo may be getting a much faster option than taking a cab to the event from two Kansai airports.

A private company aiming to put flying taxis into practical use conducted a test flight using a helicopter here on Oct. 23 to check flight lengths, noise from the helicopter and safety.

Shun Yoshida, a public relations director for a flying-car project at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, was one of those on board the 13-minute flight from Kansai Airport.

“There was less turbulence than I expected. It was a comfortable flight. I hope lots of people try it at the expo,” Yoshida said. By car the trip would usually take about an hour.

Mitsui & Co. flew passengers on the 10-seat helicopter from the airport to Yumeshima, a man-made island in the city that will be a venue for the expo.

The company said it will be conducting more tests of the helicopter taxis at the island.

The company also tested a flight between Yumeshima and Kobe Airport.

Though the helicopter didn't touch down at Kobe Airport during the test, it entered airspace above the airport about five minutes after taking off from Yumeshima.