On June 17, SkyDrive Inc., a leading eVTOL company in Japan, announced on its official website that it has submitted an application for a type certificate for its three-seat eVTOL to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). The application was accepted on April 29, 2024. SkyDrive’s goal is to obtain the FAA type certificate by 2026 or later, provided they first secure the type certificate from the JCAB.
SkyDrive was officially established in July 2018 and successfully conducted its first manned eVTOL flight test in Japan in 2019. In March 2024, SkyDrive began production of the “SkyDrive” at a factory owned by its official manufacturing partner, Suzuki Motor Corporation.
It is worth mentioning that SkyDrive announced on the 14th that, regarding the highlight of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, it will conduct demonstration flights without passengers during the Expo. Although the company has been exploring the realization of commercial flights with passengers, this announcement essentially indicates a withdrawal from that goal.
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has positioned the “flying car” as a “revolution in aerial mobility,” aiming to achieve commercial flights during the Expo. It has now been learned that of the four companies scheduled to operate at the Expo, including SkyDrive, Marubeni Corporation has also abandoned its plans for commercial flights.
The four companies planning to operate flying cars at the Expo are Marubeni, SkyDrive, a group consisting of ANA Holdings and the American company Joby Aviation, and Japan Airlines. Dedicated takeoff and landing sites are being constructed in Osaka and Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, to facilitate flights between these locations and the Expo venue.
SkyDrive’s developing aircraft is equipped with motors and propellers and can accommodate one pilot and two passengers.
To prepare for entry into the U.S. market and commercial operations, SkyDrive established a subsidiary in the U.S. in 2023. SkyDrive is now actively collaborating with local customers and offering customized products to meet the needs of the U.S. market.
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