2025 Osaka Expo: Flying Car Grounded After Components Detach in Mid-Flight

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:16 JST, April 27, 2025

OSAKA – Demonstrations of the highly anticipated “flying car” at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo have been suspended following an incident on Saturday in which components of the aircraft detached during flight.

Marubeni Corp., the operator of the flights, announced the cancellation of Sunday’s scheduled demonstration and said that operations would remain halted until safety can be assured.

According to Marubeni and the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, the incident occurred at about 3 p.m. on Saturday at the vertiport within the Expo site in Osaka City. During a demonstration of the Hexa, a single-seat vehicle manufactured by U.S.-based LIFT Aircraft Inc., parts of the vehicle broke off and fell to the landing area.

Specifically, one of the 18 propeller motors located on the upper part of the 4.5-meter-long, 2.4-meter-high vehicle malfunctioned, resulting in the detachment of two of its covers.

The vehicle landed safely, and the pilot was not injured. The demonstration was conducted within an area inaccessible to visitors.