Uber is a mainstay in numerous giant cities, but it hasn’t had a foothold in Tokyo — a combination of strict limits on ridesharing and public wariness has kept it out of Japan’s best-known metropolis. Now, however, it’s part of the landscape. Bloomberg reports that Uber has launched its first service in Tokyo despite operating in Japan for about six years. This isn’t ridesharing, though. Instead, it’s offering Uber Taxi through 600 vehicles in the central business district as well as popular city areas like Akihabara, Asakusa and Shinagawa.

Coverage should reach all of Tokyo’s central districts by the end of 2020.

If the names Cora or Kitty Hawk sound familiar to you, it’s because they’ve been kicking about in this sector for a while, albeit in varying forms. Kitty Hawk was formed in 2016; a secretive flying-car company that enjoyed the lucrative backing of Google co-founder Larry Page. Under the management of Sebastian Thrun — the Stanford AI expert responsible for Google’s self-driving car unit — the company created the two-seated autonomous aircraft, Cora.

In 2018, Kitty Hawk announced it was teaming up with Air New Zealand to launch the world’s first autonomous air taxi service, but without a major manufacturing partner it turned instead to Boeing, and in 2019 Wisk was born. Its goal is to develop a flying taxi service that can be summoned by an app, and flown by a combination of autopilot systems and a remote human pilot.

This isn’t a new aspiration, of course. Uber has grand plans for its Elevate program, while Germany’s Volocopter made big promises about its own offering. But such projects often fall foul of funding problems, technical difficulties and legislative challenges. If Wisk’s passenger trials go ahead and are successful, the dream of flying taxis may actually start to come to fruition in a tangible way.

Hyundai made good on its promise to show off its flying car concept at CES, but its press conference demonstrated exactly how it envisages integrating such a vehicle into everyday life. In what it calls “liberation from gridlock” and the “democratization of flight,” Hyundai once again pointed at Uber as a vital ally in getting its flying cars into the skies. The rideshare platform wants to launch its Uber Air initiative in 2023, and Hyundai looks like it’s got the goods to help it do exactly that.

At the beginning of the month, Waymo said it was close to offering autonomous rides with no backup driver. This announcement suggests that it’s plans are on schedule. Unfortunately, Waymo has not confirmed when it will open the driverless rides to all customers in Phoenix, and users who have signed up for the service have signed non-disclosure agreements.

Krafcik noted that Waymo has opened the world’s first factory dedicated to L4 autonomous driver integration. The company is also testing its automated driver technology on Peterbilt trucks, as it looks to expand into trucking and commercial deliveries, Reuters reports. “We think trucking is a really interesting application of the Waymo driver,” Krafcik said.

“In the heart of Detroit, MI we’ve opened the world’s first factory 100% dedicated to L4 autonomous Driver integration. Our factory recently completed 30 I-PACES that are now in CA for development and testing.” –@johnkrafcik @Forbes #30Under30Summit pic.twitter.com/MmntZLiVX4

— Waymo (@Waymo) October 28, 2019

The design might also catch people’s eyes. The six-motor design was created with the help of BMW’s Designworks and centers on a wrap-around canopy that gives passengers a clear view. And yes, safety is a concern. There are multiple redundant systems (including the fuel cells) and an airframe parachute. Initial versions will be piloted, but autonomy is in the cards.

There’s a lot of optimism inherent to the project. There are plans for test flights, but practical service will have to wait until governments offer regulatory approval. Hydrogen infrastructure is an issue as well. CEO Steve Hanvey told the AP that he believed it could take a decade or more before you’re taking a flying taxi across town. You may see alternate uses, though, such as air ambulances and cargo hauling.

With that said, this could be more appealing to cities than other airborne taxis. It’d allow more (and longer) flights that existing electric-only designs. That could not only help cities cope with higher demand, but lower the costs of flying through sheer economies of scale.